English
bist
Bist comes from Proto-Germanic *beuną ‘(thou) art’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to grow, become, come into being, appear’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to grow, become, come into being, appear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-yé-tireconstructedzero-grade yé-present of *bʰuH-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*beunąas *biusi‘(thou) art’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bist
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1875same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to grow, become, come into being, appear’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-yé-tireconstructedzero-grade yé-present of *bʰuH-
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*beunąas *biusi‘(thou) art’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bist
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
- Englishearliest quotation 1875same form
Earliest quotation: 1875, Mark Lemon, Henry Mayhew: “Thee bist rayther too much a feelosofer, I be…”
Formed from be + -est
Proto-Germanic *beuną ‘to be’
Proto-West Germanic *beun
Old English bēon ‘to be’
Middle English been ‘to be’
English be
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- ‘to grow, become, come into being, appear’
power, possible, future, present, build, physical, improve, presence, essential, bond, bush, bound, absence, contribution, physician, entity, booth, approve, absent, favorable, probability, contributor, fiat, bun, favourable, bouquet, distribute, retribution, attribution, imp, rebuke, impotent, bower, impossibility, beamer, bosque, phylogeny, physic, phylum, approbation, 82 more
through Proto-Germanic *beuną ‘(thou) art’
Today it means
verb Used to form the second person singular of be.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- / bist