English
beanie
Beanie comes from English bean ‘the head’, from Middle English bene ‘bean’, and ultimately from Proto-Germanic *baunō.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*baunō‘bean’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*baunu‘bean’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bēan
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bene‘bean’
- English1500–presentbean‘the head’
- Englishearliest quotation 2023beanie
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*baunō‘bean’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*baunu‘bean’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bēan
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bene‘bean’
- English1500–presentbean‘the head’
- Englishearliest quotation 2023beanie
Earliest quotation: 2023, HarryBlank, Off Track: “The sensation was curious. The bullet passed through her…”.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰabʰ-
through Middle English bene ‘bean’
through English bean ‘the head’
Today it means
noun A cap that fits the head closely, usually knitted from wool.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *baunō / beanie