birth
/bɜːθ/
noun
Origin
Old Norse
byrð — birth, childbirth, load, burden
Overview
Meaning Now
- The emergence of a young from the body of its mother.
- The start or beginning of something, especially an idea, movement, or state.
Literal older meaning
the act of bearing or being brought forth
Language path
Proto-Indo-European → Proto-Germanic → Old English → Middle English → English
Earliest form
burth
Earliest period
Middle English, 13th century
Journey
The word is rooted in the PIE verb *bher-, meaning 'to carry'. This connection illustrates an ancient semantic link between the 'bearing' of a child and the 'burden' (another descendant of the same root) of pregnancy.
Evolution
- Proto-Indo-European
*bher-
“to carry, to bear”
- Proto-Germanic
*burθiz
“birth”
- Old English
gebyrd
“birth, descent, nature, fate”
- Middle English
burth
“birth”
Influence from Old Norse 'byrð' is likely
- Modern English
birth
“birth”
Connections
Word parts
birth
root
the act of being born
Related across languages
German
Geburt
birth
Old Norse
byrð
birth
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.