English
bite
Bite comes from Middle English biten ‘to bite’, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéydt ‘to split’, and ultimately from *bʰeyd-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeyd-‘split’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéydt‘to split’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bītanąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bītan‘to bite’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bītan
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500biten‘to bite’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592bite
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰeyd-‘split’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰéydt‘to split’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bītanąreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bītan‘to bite’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bītan
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500biten‘to bite’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1590–1592bite
Earliest quotation: c. 1590–1592, William Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew: “[…]froſts doe bite the Meads[…]”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- ‘split’
boat, fiber, fibre, bitter, fission, fissure, feta, fissile, abet, fettuccine, 24 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰéydt ‘to split’
through Proto-Germanic *bītaną
Today it means
verb To cut into something by clamping the teeth.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyd- / bite