Where does “been” come from?

been (Yola) comes from Middle English bee, from Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic bijō, from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- — to hit, to pierce.

been (Yola): bees

Definitions

  1. bees

Ancestry of “been”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbeeA bee
2Old EnglishbēoI become, I will be, I am; bee
3Proto-West Germanic*bijābee
4Proto-Germanicbijōbee
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰī-to hit, to pierce
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰī- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bijō →Every word from Proto-West Germanic *bijā →