Etymograph

English

bison

Bison comes from Latin bison ‘wild ox’, from Proto-Germanic *wisundaz ‘bison, wisent’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *wes- ‘to dress, clothe’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wes-‘to dress, clothe’root as named
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wisundaz‘bison, wisent’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbisonas bisōn‘wild ox’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bysontes
  6. Englishtodaybison

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*wes-‘to dress, clothe’root as named
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*wisundaz‘bison, wisent’reconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbisonas bisōn‘wild ox’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600same form
  5. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bysontes
  6. Englishtodaybison

The story

The Latin term is recorded in the 1st century, likely a direct loan from Proto-Germanic *wisundaz (‘wild ox, aurochs’) (see for full etymology).

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *wes- ‘to dress, clothe’

wear, invest, vest, venal, basmati, vend, 25 more

Today it means

noun A large, wild bovid of the genus Bison.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *wes- / bison

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