English
bellwether
Bellwether comes from Old English weþer ‘wether’, from Proto-West Germanic *weþru ‘yearling lamb’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wet- ‘year’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wet-‘year’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wétrusreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*weþruz‘yearling lamb’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*weþru‘yearling lamb’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150weþer‘wether’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wether
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500belwether
- Englishearliest quotation 1861bellwether
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wet-‘year’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*wétrusreconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*weþruz‘yearling lamb’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*weþru‘yearling lamb’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150weþer‘wether’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500wether
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500belwether
- Englishearliest quotation 1861bellwether
Earliest quotation: 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.: “Several old ladies forthwith proclaimed their intention of following…”
A compound of bell + wether ‘castrated ram’
Proto-Indo-European *bʰel- ‘to sound’
Proto-Germanic *bellǭ ‘bell’
Proto-West Germanic *bellā
Old English belle ‘bell’
Middle English belle
English bell
Proto-Indo-European *wet- ‘year’
Proto-Germanic *weþruz
Proto-West Germanic *weþru ‘wether, ram’
Old English weþer ‘a wether, ram’
Middle English wether
English wether
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *wet- ‘year’
veteran, veterinary, veal, veterinarian, viol, bacha, inveterate, 17 more
Today it means
noun The leading sheep of a flock, having a bell hung round its neck.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wet- / bellwether