bheid- / Indo-European roots

Examples of words with the root bheid-: -fid, abet, aphid, bait, bateau, beetle, bit, bite, bitter, boat, fissi-, giblets, pita, pizza, tsimmes.

bheid-

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

▲ Derivatives include bite, bitter, fission.

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; (iii) pizza from Italian pizza, pizza, from a Germanic source akin to Old High German bizzo, pizzo, bite, morsel. (i)-(iii) all from Germanic *bitōn-; (iv) pita from Medieval Greek pita, perhaps from Gothic *bita, bite, morsel. (i)-(iv) all 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. giblets from Old French gibiez, game, from Germanic *gabaiti- (*ga-, collective prefix; see kom)

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

6. 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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