English word beam comes from Proto-Indo-European *bū-, Proto-Indo-European *bhū, and later Proto-Germanic *baumaz (Beam, balk. Tree.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *bū- | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *bhū | Proto-Indo-European (ine) | |
| *baumaz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Beam, balk. Tree. |
| bēam | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | |
| beam | Old English (ca. 450-1100) (ang) | Beam of wood. The Cross. Tree. |
| beem | Middle English (1100-1500) (enm) | |
| beam | English (en) | (ambitransitive) To emit beams of light; shine; radiate.. (intransitive, figuratively) To smile broadly or especially cheerfully.. (transitive) To furnish or supply with beams. (transitive) give the appearance of beams to.. (transitive, currying) To stretch something (for example an animal hide) on a beam.. (transitive, music) To connect (musical notes) with a beam, or thick line, in music [...] |