English words first recorded in the 8th century

1. The sign is inherited from Middle English merke, also marke, inherited from Old English mearc (“boundary, limit; sign, landmark”), Mercian merc, from Proto-Germanic *markō, the source also of Old…

It is inherited from Middle English togedere, inherited from Old English tōgædere, a compound, from Old English tō (“to”) + gædere (“together”), the second part apparently a variant of geador…

1. The animal is inherited from Middle English bever, inherited from Old English beofor, also befor, earlier bebr, from Proto-West Germanic *bebru, from Proto-Germanic *bebruz, from…

It is inherited from Middle English al, also all, inherited from Old English eall, also all, inherited from Proto-Germanic *allaz, for which Etymonline, Barnhart and Ayto give the older form *alnaz…

The noun is inherited from Middle English answere, inherited from Old English andswaru (“a response, reply”), from Proto-Germanic *andswarō, formed from and- (“against”) and -swaru “affirmation”…

1. The limb is inherited from Middle English arm, inherited from Old English earm, from Proto-Germanic *armaz, which is also the source of Old Saxon, Dutch and German arm, Old Frisian erm, Old Norse…

It is inherited from Middle English asken (also axen), inherited from Old English āscian (“to ask, call for an answer; to request”) (earlier āhsian, also ācsian), from Proto-Germanic *aiskōjanan…

It is inherited from Middle English awei, awey, inherited from Old English aweg, a late reduction of earlier on weg (“on the way”), formed from on (see a-) and weg (“way”) (see way). The sense of…

It is inherited from Middle English bane, also ban, bayn and bone, inherited from Old English bana (“killer, slayer, murderer”), also bona, from Proto-Germanic *banô. Its cognates are Old Saxon…

1. The burial mound is inherited from Middle English berwe, earlier bergh, inherited from Old English beorg, Anglian berg, hill, mound, from Proto-Germanic *bergaz. It is cognate with Old Saxon berg…

It is inherited from Middle English bath, inherited from Old English bæð, from Proto-Germanic *badan, the source also of German Bad and Old Norse bað. It is from Proto-Indo-European *bhē- (“to…

It is inherited from Middle English bede (“prayer; prayer bead”), inherited from Old English gebed (“prayer”), recorded from about 725, beside a rarer bed and bedu. The OED notes that Old English…

1. The verb is inherited from Middle English beren, inherited from Old English beran (“to carry, bring; give birth to; endure”), a strong verb (past tense bær, past participle boren), from…

It is inherited from Middle English beten, inherited from Old English bēatan (“to strike repeatedly, thrash”), from Proto-Germanic *bautan, the source also of Old High German bōzan “to beat” and Old…

It is inherited from Middle English bicomen, inherited from Old English becuman (“to come about, happen; to arrive”), from Proto-Germanic *bikweman, a Germanic compound of the sources of be- and…

It is inherited from Middle English biforen, also beforen, inherited from Old English beforan, also biforan, "in front, ahead", a compound of be- (“by”) and foran (“in front”), from fore. Etymonline…

It is inherited from Middle English bihinde (also behinde), inherited from Old English behindan (“at the back of, after”), a compound, from Old English bi (“by”) + hindan (“from behind”). It matches…

It is inherited from Middle English bench, inherited from Old English benc (“long seat”), from Proto-Germanic *bankiz, also the source of Old Frisian benk, Old High German bank and Old Norse bekkr…

It is inherited from Middle English bisetten, also besetten, inherited from Old English besettan (“to put, place; to own, occupy; to surround, besiege”), from Proto-Germanic *bisatjaną. The Old…

It is inherited from Middle English bettre, inherited from Old English betera, later bettra, from Proto-Germanic *batizô, the comparative of a positive *bat- that is not in use. That root is also…

The modern verb combines two Old English verbs that became confused in early Middle English. The senses “ask, command” and “bid farewell” are inherited from Middle English bidden, inherited from Old…

It is inherited from Old English biter (“sharp, cutting; harsh-tasting; angry”), from Proto-Germanic *bitraz, cognate with Old Saxon bittar, German bitter, Old Norse bitr and Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌹𐍄𐍂𐍃 (baitrs)…

It is Middle English blast, inherited from Old English blǣst (“a blowing, a strong gust of wind”), from Proto-Germanic *blēstaz, which also gave Old High German blāst and Old Norse blástr (perhaps…

It is inherited from Middle English blind, inherited from Old English blind (“sightless; dark, obscure; unintelligent”), from Proto-Germanic *blindaz, also the source of Old Frisian and Old Saxon…

It is inherited from Middle English blod, inherited from Old English blōd, from Proto-Germanic *blōþą. Its cognates include Old Frisian blōd, Old Saxon blōd, Dutch bloed, German Blut and Old Norse…

It is inherited from Middle English blosme, early also blostme, inherited from Old English blōstm, also blōstma and blōsma, from Proto-Germanic *blōstmô. It is cognate with Middle Dutch bloesem and…

1. It is inherited from Middle English blowen, blawen (1127), inherited from Old English blāwan (“to blow, breathe; kindle; inflate; sound a wind instrument”), a strong verb with past tense blēow…

It is inherited from Middle English bord, inherited from Old English bord (“plank; table; shield; ship's side”), which combines two originally distinct Germanic words, Proto-Germanic *burdą (“board…

It is inherited from Middle English bote, inherited from Old English bāt, from Proto-Germanic *baitaz, preserved also in Old Norse beit. Middle Low German bōt (German Boot) and Dutch boot were…

It is Middle English bold, inherited from Old English bald, West Saxon beald, from Proto-Germanic *balþaz, cognate with Old High German bald (“bold, swift”) (modern German bald (“soon”)), Old Norse…

It is inherited from Middle English bolster, inherited from Old English bolster (“bolster, pillow, cushion”), from Proto-Germanic *bulstraz. Its cognates are Dutch bolster, Old High German bolstar…

It is inherited from Middle English bok, inherited from Old English bōc (“writing tablet, written document”), from Proto-Germanic *bōks, whose cognates include Old Frisian bōk, Old Saxon bōk, Old…

It is inherited from Middle English born, inherited from Old English boren, also geboren, the past participle of beran (“to bear, carry”), the source of bear. It is akin to Old High German giboran…

It is inherited from Middle English burgh (also borugh), inherited from Old English burg (also burh, "fortress, fortified town"), from Proto-Germanic *burgs (“hill fort, fortress”), cognate with Old…

It is inherited from Middle English bosom, bosum, inherited from Old English bōsm (“breast; womb; surface; ship's hold”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōsm-, also the source of Old Frisian bōsm, Old…

It is inherited from Middle English botme, inherited from Old English botm (“ground, foundation, lowest part”), from Proto-Germanic *buthm-, the source also of Old Frisian bodem, Old Saxon bodom…

1. The verb meaning to bend is inherited from Middle English bowen, earlier bouwen, buwen and buhen, inherited from Old English būgan (“to bend”), originally a strong verb (past tense bēah). It…

It is inherited from Middle English breiden, also braiden, inherited from Old English bregdan (“to move quickly, pull, swing, draw (a sword); bend, weave, knit”), a strong verb with the past tense…

It is inherited from Middle English brand, brond, inherited from Old English brand (“fire, flame, a piece of burning wood, in poetry a sword”), from Proto-Germanic *brandaz (“a burning”), the source…

It is inherited from Middle English breken, inherited from Old English brecan (“to divide violently into parts; to violate; to burst forth”), from Proto-Germanic *brekaną. Its cognates include Old…

It is inherited from Middle English brest, inherited from Old English brēost, from Proto-Germanic *breustą, which also gave Old Saxon briost, Old Norse brjóst and Dutch borst, beside a form *brusts…

It is inherited from Middle English brid, brude, inherited from Old English brȳd (“bride, betrothed woman”), from Proto-Germanic *brūdiz, source also of Dutch bruid, German Braut and Old Norse…

It is inherited from Middle English bringen, inherited from Old English bringan (“to bear, convey; to bring forth, produce”), from Proto-Germanic *brangjanan. It has no exact relatives outside…

It is inherited from Middle English brod, inherited from Old English brād (“wide, flat, open”), from Proto-Germanic *braidaz, also the source of Old Frisian and Old Saxon brēd, Dutch breed, German…

It is inherited from Middle English brother, inherited from Old English brōþor, from Proto-Germanic *brōþēr. Its cognates include Old Frisian brōther, Old Saxon brōthar, Dutch broeder, German Bruder…

It is inherited from Middle English bersten, bresten, inherited from Old English berstan (“to break suddenly, shatter”), a Proto-West Germanic metathesis of Proto-Germanic *brestaną, source also of…

1. The conjunction is inherited from Middle English bute, also buten and butan, inherited from Old English būtan (“outside, without, except, unless”), also būton. Old English būtan was formed from…

It is inherited from Middle English bi, also be, inherited from Old English bī, unstressed be, from Proto-Germanic *bi (“around, about”), and is cognate with Old Saxon bī, Old Frisian bī, Middle…

1. The verb is inherited from Middle English can, the first and third person singular present of connen (“to know how, be able”), inherited from Old English can, present of cunnan (“to know, know…

The noun is inherited from Middle English care, inherited from Old English caru (“sorrow, anxiety, grief”), also cearu, and the verb is from Old English carian, cearian (“to be anxious, to grieve”)…

It is inherited from Middle English kerven, inherited from Old English ceorfan (“to cut”), a strong verb with the past tense cearf and the past participle corfen, inherited from Proto-Germanic…

It is inherited from Old English cin, cinn (probably before 832; earlier in the compound cinberg, about 725), a general Germanic word: Old Saxon and Old High German kinni (German Kinn), Old Norse…

It is inherited from Middle English chesen, chosen, inherited from Old English ċēosan (“to choose, seek out, select; to decide, test, taste”), from Proto-Germanic *keusaną, the source also of Old…

1. The fastening clip is Middle English clippen, inherited from Old English clyppan (“to embrace, clasp, surround”), from Proto-Germanic *kluppjaną, cognate with Old Frisian kleppa (“to embrace”)…

It is inherited from Middle English cold, inherited from Old English cald (Anglian), ceald (West Saxon), from Proto-Germanic *kaldaz, the source also of Old Frisian and Old Saxon kald, German kalt…

It is inherited from Middle English cole, inherited from Old English cōl (“moderately cold”), from Proto-Germanic *kōluz, from the base of cold. Its cognates include Middle Dutch coel, Dutch koel…

It is inherited from Middle English derk, inherited from Old English deorc (“without light; gloomy; sinister, wicked”), from Proto-Germanic *derkaz, the source also of Old High German tarchanjan…

It is inherited from Middle English doughter, earlier dohter, inherited from Old English dohtor, from Proto-Germanic *duhtēr, the source also of Old Saxon dohtar, Old Norse dóttir, Dutch dochter…

It is inherited from Middle English day, also dai, inherited from Old English dæg, from Proto-Germanic *dagaz. Its cognates include Old Saxon dag, Dutch dag, Old Frisian dei, Old High German tag…

It is inherited from Middle English ded, inherited from Old English dēad (“having ceased to live; torpid, dull”), from Proto-Germanic *daudaz, originally a past participle formed on the base of the…