English
bettering
Bettering comes from Middle English beterynge ‘Making better (morally)’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- ‘to unite, be associated, suit’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰedʰ-‘to unite, be associated, suit’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gōdazas *batizô‘better’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*batizōną‘to make better’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150beterian‘to improve, to make better’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500beteren‘to better’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500beterynge‘Making better (morally)’
- Englishtodaybettering
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʰedʰ-‘to unite, be associated, suit’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*gōdazas *batizô‘better’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*batizōną‘to make better’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150beterian‘to improve, to make better’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500beteren‘to better’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500beterynge‘Making better (morally)’
- Englishtodaybettering
Formed from better + -ing
Proto-Indo-European *bʰed- ‘good’
…
Proto-Germanic *batizô
Proto-West Germanic *batiʀō
Old English betera
Middle English better
English better
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- ‘to unite, be associated, suit’
together, goodness, gather, gad, goodly, 4 more
through Proto-Germanic *gōdaz ‘better’
Today it means
verb improvement
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- / bettering