Etymology

beek

B3E1E1K5

Today it means: To expose to a source of heat for warmth and pleasure. Full definition →

Middle English beken ← Old English *bēċan ← Proto-West Germanic *bōkijan
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beek · verb1

  1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*bakaną“to bake”
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*bōkijaną“to warm”
  3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*bōkijan“to warm”
  4. Old English · inherited from*bēċan“to foment”
  5. Middle English · inherited frombeken“to warm, expose to heat; keep oneself warm; season (wood) with heat”
  6. English todaybeek

From Middle English beken (“to warm, expose to heat; keep oneself warm; season (wood) with heat”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps a northern variant of Middle English *bechen, from Old English *bēċan (“to foment”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōkijan (“to warm”), from Proto-Germanic *bōkijaną (“to warm”), causative of Proto-Germanic *bakaną (“to bake”). Cognate with Scots beke, beik (“to warm, bask”).

beek · noun2

Clipping of beekeeper.

Beek · proper noun3

  1. Dutch · borrowed fromBeek
  2. English todayBeek

Borrowed from Dutch Beek.

Words from the same roots

Middle Englishbeken all →

beacon

Proto-Germanic*bakaną all →

bookbake

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.