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Etymology
Dictionary
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Origin of the word BAIT. Etymology of the word
BAIT.
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From An Etymology
Dictionary of the English Language, by Walter W. Skeat, 1893 |
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BAIT,
to make to bite. (Scand.) M. E. baiten, to feed,
Chaucer, Troilus, i. 192. 'And shoten on him, so don on bere Dogges, that
wolden him to-tere, Thanne men doth the bere beyte' = and rushed upon him
like dogs at a bear, that would tear him in twain, when people cause the bear to
be baited; Havelock, 1838. To bait a bear is to make the dogs bite
him. To bait a horse is to make him eat.—Icel. beita,
to make to bite, the causal of Icel. bíta, to bite. See
Bite. Der. bait, sb., i.e. an enticement to bite. [†]
ADDENDA
Add: So also Swed. beta, to bait, graze, feed, causal of bita,
to bite; bete, pasture, grazing, also a bait; Dan. bed, a
bait. The Icel. beita, to bait, is formed from beit,
pt. t. of bíta, to bite.
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| Etymology
Dictionary Index |
| A, B,
C, D, E,
F, G, H,
I, J, K,
L, M, N,
O, P, Q,
R, S, T,
U, V, W,
X, Y, Z
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| Key |
| Arab.=Arabic. |
| A.S.=Anglo
Saxon. |
| Bavar.=Bavarian |
| Bohem.=Bohemian. |
| C.=Celtic,
used as a general term for Irish, Gaelic, Welsh, Breton,
Cornish, &c. |
| Corn.=Cornish. |
| Dan.=Danish. |
| Du.=Dutch |
| E.=English. |
| E.E.=Early
English. |
| Europ.=European. |
| F.=French. |
| G.=German. |
| Gk.=Greek. |
| Goth.=Gothic. |
| Icel.=Icelandic. |
| Ital.=Italian. |
| L. or
Lat.=Latin. |
| Lith.
& Lithuan.=Lithuanian. |
| M.E.=Middle
English. |
| M.F.=Middle
French |
| M.H.G.=Middle
High German. |
| Norw.=Norwegian. |
| O.F.=Old
French. |
| O.H.G.=Old
High German. |
| Pers.=Persian. |
| Port.=Portuguese. |
| Scand.=Scandinavian,
used as a general term for Icelandic, Swedish, Danish,
&c. |
| Sc.=Scottish. |
| Skt.=Sanskrit. |
| Span.=Spanish. |
| Swed.=Sweish. |
| Teut.=Teutonic |
| Turk.=Turkish. |
| W.=Welsh. |
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