English
bleed
Bleed comes from Middle English bleden ‘to cause to bleed’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *blōþą ‘blood’.
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*blōþą‘blood’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*blōdijaną‘to bleed’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*blōdijan‘to bleed’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150blēdan‘to bleed’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bleden‘to cause to bleed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1713bleed
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Earlier history uncertain.
Lineage
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*blōþą‘blood’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*blōdijaną‘to bleed’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*blōdijan‘to bleed’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150blēdan‘to bleed’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bleden‘to cause to bleed’
- Englishearliest quotation 1713bleed
Earliest quotation: 1713, Alexander Pope, Windsor-Forest. […]: “For me the balm shall bleed.”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃- ‘to bloom’
full, flower, fool, blow, blade, floral, foil, flora, bloom, flourish, blossom, folly, folio, ferret, florist, flor, folic, fleur, belladonna, exfoliate, 53 more
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰleh₃-tó-m
through Proto-Germanic *blōþą ‘blood’
Today it means
verb To shed blood through an injured blood vessel.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *blōþą / bleed