Where does “be” come from?
be (Scots) comes from Middle English been, from Old English bēn, from Proto-Germanic banjō, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰon-yeh₂, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰen-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰon-.
be (Scots): to be; Alternative form of by
Definitions
- to be; Alternative form of by
Ancestry of “be”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | been | to be; ben; plural of bee |
| 2 | Old English | bēn | prayer, request; prayer, request, petition,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | banjō | wound |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰon-yeh₂ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |