bheid-

To split; with Germanic derivatives referring to biting (hence also to eating and to hunting) and woodworking.

Derivatives include bite, bitter, and fission.

1.

a. beetle¹, bite, from Old English bītan, to bite;

b. tsimmes, from Old High German bīzan, bizzan, to bite. Both a and b from Germanic *bītan.

2. Zero-grade form *bhid-.

a. bit², from Old English bite, a bite, sting, from Germanic *bitiz;

b. (i) bit¹, from Old English bita, a piece bitten off, morsel; (ii) bitt, from a Germanic source akin to Old Norse biti, bit, crossbeam. Both (i) and (ii) from Germanic *bitōn-;

c. suffixed form *bhid-ro-. bitter, from Old English bit(t)er, “biting,” sharp, bitter.

3. O-grade form *bhoid-.

a. bait¹, from Old Norse beita (verb), to hunt with dogs, and beita (noun), pasture, food;

b. abet, from Old French beter, to harass with dogs. Both a and b from Germanic *baitjan.

4. bateau, boat; boatswain, from Old English bāt, boat, from Germanic *bait-, a boat (< “dugout canoe” or “split planking”).

5. Nasalized zero-grade form *bhi-n-d-. -fid, fissi-, fissile, fission, fissure, vent², from Latin findere, to split.

 

[Pokorny bheid- 116.]

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