be-

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁ep-
2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁éps
3. Proto-Indo-European*h₁épi
4. Proto-Indo-European*h₁pi
5. Proto-Germanic*bi
6. Proto-Germanic*bi-
7. Proto-West Germanic*bi-
8. Old Englishbe-
9. Middle Englishbi-
10. English todaybe-

From Middle English be-, bi-, from Old English be- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, by”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at, near”). See by, by-. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bi- (“be-”), West Frisian be- (“be-”), Dutch be- (“be-”), German Low German be- (“be-”), German be- (“be-”), Danish be- (“be-”), Swedish be- (“be-”).

Words from the same roots