Etymology Map
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Book

3 stages from Proto-Germanic to English.

Today it means a set of written or printed pages bound together

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
bōks
Proto-Germanic · ancient
"letter, tablet"
probably from 'bōkō', beech, whose wood may have been used for carving runes
2
Stage 2 of 3
bōc
Old English · 700s-1000s
"book, document"
'bōchūs', book-house, was a word for a library
3
Stage 3 of 3
book
English · 1500s
"book"
'bookworm' dates from the 1590s
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Read the full story

Book’s story begins in Proto-Germanic: bōks meant “letter, tablet.” Probably from 'bōkō', beech, whose wood may have been used for carving runes. By 700s-1000s, the word had taken hold in Old English as bōc. 'bōchūs', book-house, was a word for a library. It reached English by 1500s as book. 'bookworm' dates from the 1590s. Today, book means a set of written or printed pages bound together.