bless

bless · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰleh₃-“to bloom”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*blōþą“blood”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*blōdisōn“to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood”
4. Old English · inherited frombletsian“to consecrate (with blood)”
5. Middle English · inherited fromblessen
6. English todaybless

From Middle English blessen, from Old English bletsian (“to consecrate (with blood)”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdisōn (“to sprinkle, mark or hallow with blood”), from Proto-Germanic *blōþą (“blood”), of uncertain origin, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- (“to bloom”). Cognate with Old Norse bleza (“to bless”) (whence Icelandic blessa), Old English blēdan (“to bleed”). More at bleed.

bless · interjection²

An ellipsis for an expression such as bless your heart.

Bless · proper noun³

1. German · borrowed fromBless
2. English todayBless

Borrowed from Swiss German Bless.

Words from the same roots