English

pillowbeer

Pillowbeer comes from Middle English bēre ‘pillowcase’, from Old English *bera ‘bear’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- ‘brown’.

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerH-‘brown’reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerH-on-reconstructed
Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*berô‘bear’reconstructed
Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*berō‘bear’reconstructed
Old Englishc. 450–1150*bera‘bear’reconstructed
Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bēre‘pillowcase’
Englishearliest quotation 1599pillowbeer

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerH-‘brown’reconstructed
Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰerH-on-reconstructed
Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*berô‘bear’reconstructed
Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*berō‘bear’reconstructed
Old Englishc. 450–1150*bera‘bear’reconstructed
Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bēre‘pillowcase’
Englishearliest quotation 1599pillowbeer

Earliest quotation: 1599, Joseph Hall, Virgidemiarum: The three last bookes : Of byting Satyres: “When Zoylus was sicke, he knew not where /…”

A compound of pillow + bear ‘pillowcase’

Latin pulvis ‘dust’

Latin pulvīnus ‘cushion’

Proto-West Germanic *pulwī

Old English pyle

Middle English pilwe ‘a soft stuffed bag’

English pillow

Proto-Germanic *berô

Proto-West Germanic *berō

Old English bera

Middle English bere ‘a bear’

English bear

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- ‘brown’

brown, bone, boring, bore, interfere, berry, brunette, beaver, bruin, burnish, 11 more

through Middle English bēre ‘pillowcase’

Today it means

noun A pillowcase.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰerH- / pillowbeer

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