bear etymology

Etymology and Origin of "Bear"

Proto-Indo-European (PIE)

  • bʰr̥tos or bʰortós, meaning "brown" or "dark brown"

Proto-Germanic

  • beran (strong masculine noun), possibly from the PIE root bʰer-, meaning "to be brown"

Old English

  • bera or bēra (strong masculine noun), referring to a large, brown animal with a shaggy coat

Middle English

  • bere or beyre (noun), retaining the Old English meaning

Modern English

  • bear (noun), initially referring to large, brown mammals such as brown bears and black bears, but later extended to include all members of the Ursidae family, including polar bears, grizzly bears, and pandas

Meaning and Usage

The word "bear" has the following meanings:

  • Main Meaning: A large, furry mammal with a heavy body, thick fur, and large paws. Bears are typically found in wooded areas or mountainous regions.

Additional Meanings:

  • To endure or tolerate: "I can't bear to watch this movie."
  • To produce or give birth to: "She gave birth to a beautiful baby."
  • To carry or support: "I can't bear the weight of these bags."
  • A person who is coarse or rude: "He's such a bear to deal with."
  • A stock market term for a downward trend: "The market is in a bear market."

bear relate terms

  • arctic

    Etymology Arctic is derived from the Greek word arktikos which means near the bear

  • bear

    Etymology and Origin of Bear Proto Indo European PIE bʰr̥tos or bʰortós meanin

  • beaver

    Etymology The word beaver comes from the Old English word beofor which is thought to

  • bear

    Etymology and Origin of Bear Proto Indo European PIE bʰr̥tos or bʰortós meanin

  • Castor

    Etymology and Meaning Castor is a Latin name derived from the Greek word κάστωρ

  • berserk

    Etymology The word berserk originates from Old Norse berserkr which is a compound of

  • berth

    Etymology The word berth has two distinct etymological origins Old French From

  • bier

    Etymology The word bier originates from the Old English term bīere which in turn l

  • fructify

    Etymology The word fructify comes from the Latin word fructus meaning fruit and t

  • suffer

    Etymology Old French sofrir Latin sufferre Proto Indo European kwe bher kwe bhr i

  • fertile

    Etymology The word fertile is derived from the Latin word fertilis which means fru

  • proliferation

    Etymology Late Latin proliferat from pro forth ferre to bear French prolif

  • include

    Word Odyssey Etymology Greek odysseia meaning story of Odysseus Derived from the

  • except

    Etymology Latin excipere meaning to take out receive or catch Meaning A word o

  • expect

    Etymology Middle English expecten from Anglo Norman French expecten from Latin exspe