bead

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*bedō
2. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*bedu
3. Old English · derived frombedu
4. Middle English · inherited frombede“a prayer”
5. English todaybead

From Middle English bede (“a prayer”), also “a bead for counting prayers” in a peire of bedes (literally “a pair of beads”), from Old English bedu, bed, ġebed (“a request, entreaty, prayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *bedu, *bed, *gabed, from Proto-Germanic *bedō, *bedą. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Gebäd (“prayer”), Cimbrian gapéet (“prayer”), Dutch gebed and bede (“prayer”), German Gebet (“prayer”), Low German Gebett (“prayer”), Luxembourgish Gebiet (“prayer”), Vilamovian gybāt (“prayer”).

Words from the same roots

First known use, by meaning

• from 9ᵗʰc. Prayer, later especially with a rosary.
• from 14ᵗʰc. Each in a string of small balls making up the rosary or paternoster.
• from 15ᵗʰc. A small, round object with a hole to allow it to be threaded on a cord or wire, particularly for decorative purposes.
• from 16ᵗʰc. A small drop of water or other liquid.
• from 20ᵗʰc. A rigid edge of a tire that mounts it on a wheel; tire bead.