bone

bone · noun, adjective, verb, adverb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰeyh₂-“to hit, strike, beat”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*bainą“bone”
3. Old English · inherited frombān“bone, tusk; the bone of a limb”
4. Middle English · inherited frombon
5. English todaybone

From Middle English bon, from Old English bān (“bone, tusk; the bone of a limb”), from Proto-Germanic *bainą (“bone”), from *bainaz (“straight”), possibly from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂- (“to hit, strike, beat”). Cognate with Scots bane, been, bean, bein, bain (“bone”), North Frisian bian, Biin, biinj (“bone; leg”), West Frisian bien (“bone”), Dutch been (“bone; leg”), German Low German Been, Bein (“bone”), German Bein (“leg”), German Gebein (“bones”), Swedish ben (“bone; leg”), Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Icelandic bein (“bone; leg”), Breton benañ (“to cut, hew”), Latin perfinēs (“break through, break into pieces, shatter”), Avestan 𐬠𐬫𐬈𐬥𐬙𐬈 (byente, “they fight, hit”). Related also to Old Norse beinn (“straight, right, favourable, advantageous, convenient, friendly, fair, keen”) (whence Middle English bain, bayne, bayn, beyn (“direct, prompt”), Scots bein, bien (“in good condition, pleasant, well-to-do, cosy, well-stocked, pleasant, keen”)), Icelandic beinn (“straight, direct, hospitable”), Norwegian bein (“straight, direct, easy to deal with”). See bain, bein.

bone · verb²

Unknown; probably related in some way to Etymology 1, above.

bone · verb³

1. French · borrowed frombornoyer“to look at with one eye, to sight”
2. English todaybone

Borrowed from French bornoyer (“to look at with one eye, to sight”), from borgne (“one-eyed”).

bone · noun⁴

Clipping of trombone.

Bone · noun⁵

A reinterpretation of its designation B-1 (B-one), which appears to spell bone.

Words from the same roots