English
humblebee
Humblebee comes from Middle English humbul-be ‘bumblebee’, from be ‘bee’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰey-‘bee’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bijǭ‘bee’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bijā‘bee’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bēo‘bee’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500be‘bee’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500humbul-be‘bumblebee’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1595–1596humblebee
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰey-‘bee’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*bijǭ‘bee’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*bijā‘bee’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150bēo‘bee’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500be‘bee’
- Middle English, derivedc. 1150–1500humbul-be‘bumblebee’
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1595–1596humblebee
Earliest quotation: c. 1595–1596, W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare]: “The Fox, the Ape, and the Humble-Bee, Were ſtill…”
Linked words
through Middle English be ‘bee’
Today it means
noun A bumblebee.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- / humblebee