English
beamer
Beamer comes from English beam ‘balance beam’, from Old English bēam ‘tree’, and ultimately from Proto-West Germanic *baum.
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*baum‘tree’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bēam‘tree’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bem‘a beam’
- English1500–presentbeam‘balance beam’
- Englishtodaybeamer
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*baum‘tree’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bēam‘tree’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bem‘a beam’
- English1500–presentbeam‘balance beam’
- Englishtodaybeamer
A compound of beam ‘balance beam’ + -er
Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- ‘to grow, swell’
Proto-Germanic *baumaz ‘tree, beam, balk’
Proto-West Germanic *baum ‘tree’
Old English bēam ‘tree, cross, gallows, column, pillar, wood,…’
Middle English bem ‘a beam’
English beam
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to grow, swell, be’
be, been, possible, future, power, present, build, physical, improve, presence, essential, bond, bush, bound, absence, contribution, physician, entity, booth, approve, probability, absent, favorable, distribute, contributor, fiat, bun, favourable, bouquet, retribution, attribution, imp, rebuke, impotent, impossibility, aren, bower, bosque, phylogeny, physic, 85 more
through Proto-West Germanic *baum ‘tree’
Today it means
noun A gymnast proficient with or specializing in the balance beam.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-West Germanic *baum / beamer