beacon

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰeh₂-
2. Proto-Germanic*baukną
3. Proto-West Germanic*baukn
4. Old Englishbēacn
5. Middle Englishbeken
6. English todaybeacon

From Middle English beken, from Old English bēacn (“sign, signal”), from Proto-West Germanic *baukn, from Proto-Germanic *baukną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂u-, *bʰeh₂- (“to shine”). Doublet of buoy. Compare West Frisian beaken (“buoy”), Dutch baken (“beacon”), Middle Low German bāke (“beacon, sign”), German Bake (“traffic sign”), Middle High German bouchen (“sign”).

Words from the same roots