Beowulf
/ˈbeɪəwʊlf/
proper noun
Origin
Old English
beo + wulf — bee-hunter (bear)
Overview
Meaning Now
- The legendary hero of the Old English epic poem of the same name.
- The title of an anonymous Old English epic poem written between the 8th and 11th centuries.
Literal older meaning
Possibly 'bee-wolf', a kenning for 'bear'.
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English
Earliest form
Beowulf
Earliest period
circa 1000 AD
Journey
The poem 'Beowulf' is the most significant work of Old English literature, preserving Germanic heroic tradition in a Christianized context. The name likely functions as a 'kenning'—a metaphorical compound common in Old English poetry—referring to a bear, which raids beehives.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*biwulfaz
“bee-hunter / bear”
Reconstructed compound
- Old English
Beowulf
“The hero of the epic”
First recorded as a name of a Geatish warrior
Connections
Word parts
beo
root
bee
wulf
root
wolf
Related across languages
Old Norse
bjólfr
bee-wolf / bear
Explore next
Related to Beowulf
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.