Etymology Map
Back to all words

Bear

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a large, heavy mammal with thick fur

Where does the word "bear" come from? It comes from Proto-Germanic berô, passing through Old English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
berô
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"the brown one"
'the brown one', a taboo name: hunters avoided the animal's real name, which survives in Latin 'ursus' and Greek 'arktos' (hence 'Arctic')
2
Stage 2 of 3
bera
Old English · 700s-1000s
"bear"
the hero's name 'Beowulf', bee-wolf, is often read as a riddle-name for a bear
3
Stage 3 of 3
bear
English · 1500s
"bear"
the stock-market 'bear' dates from the 1700s, perhaps from the saying about selling the bearskin before catching the bear
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Bear’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: berô meant “the brown one.” 'the brown one', a taboo name: hunters avoided the animal's real name, which survives in Latin 'ursus' and Greek 'arktos' (hence 'Arctic'). By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as bera. The hero's name 'Beowulf', bee-wolf, is often read as a riddle-name for a bear. It reached English by 1500s as bear. The stock-market 'bear' dates from the 1700s, perhaps from the saying about selling the bearskin before catching the bear. Today, bear means a large, heavy mammal with thick fur.