"bee" meaning in Middle English

See bee in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /beː/, /bøː/ [Early-Middle-English] Forms: been [plural], bees [plural], be [alternative], beo [alternative], bey [alternative]
Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰey-der. Proto-Germanic *bijǭ Proto-West Germanic *bijā Old English bēo Middle English bee From Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic *bijō (“bee”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”). Etymology templates: {{etymon|enm|:inh|ang:bēo<id:bee>|id=noun|tree=1}} Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰey-der. Proto-Germanic *bijǭ Proto-West Germanic *bijā Old English bēo Middle English bee [Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from", "terms" : [ { "children" : [ ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*bʰey-", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*bijǭ", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*bijā", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "bēo", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "bee", "lang" : "enm" }" data-id="noun" data-lang="enm" data-title="bee" id="Middle_English:_noun">, {{inh|enm|ang|bēo}} Old English bēo, {{inh|enm|gmw-pro|*bijā}} Proto-West Germanic *bijā, {{inh|enm|gem-pro|*bijō|t=bee}} Proto-Germanic *bijō (“bee”), {{inh|enm|ine-pro|*bʰey-|t=bee}} Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”) Head templates: {{head|enm|noun|g=|g2=|g3=|head=|sort=}} bee, {{enm-noun|been|pl2=bees}} bee (plural been or bees)
  1. A bee (insect that collects pollen)

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "bee"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "bee"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "be"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "beye"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "bie"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "bea"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "been"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "ang:bēo<id:bee>",
        "id": "noun",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰey-der.\nProto-Germanic *bijǭ\nProto-West Germanic *bijā\nOld English bēo\nMiddle English bee\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰey-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bijǭ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bijā\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bēo\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"bee\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-id=\"noun\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"bee\" id=\"Middle_English:_noun\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bēo"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bēo",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*bijā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *bijā",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*bijō",
        "t": "bee"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bijō (“bee”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰey-",
        "t": "bee"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”)",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰey-der.\nProto-Germanic *bijǭ\nProto-West Germanic *bijā\nOld English bēo\nMiddle English bee\nFrom Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic *bijō (“bee”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "been",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bees",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "be",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beo",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bey",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "bee",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "been",
        "pl2": "bees"
      },
      "expansion": "bee (plural been or bees)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 24 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "enm",
          "name": "Bees",
          "orig": "enm:Bees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              12,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              10,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Just like bees swarm from a hive / Out of the devil's arse there were driven / Twenty thousand friars on a rout / And throughout hell they swarmed all about...",
          "ref": "a. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Summoner's Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, lines 1693–1696:",
          "text": "Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve, / Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve / Twenty thousand freres on a route / And thurghout helle swarmed al aboute...",
          "translation": "Just like bees swarm from a hive / Out of the devil's arse there were driven / Twenty thousand friars on a rout / And throughout hell they swarmed all about...",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A bee (insect that collects pollen)"
      ],
      "id": "en-bee-enm-noun-2V~QQktn",
      "links": [
        [
          "bee",
          "bee#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/beː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/bøː/",
      "tags": [
        "Early-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "bee"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "Pages with 24 entries",
    "Pages with entries"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "English",
      "lang_code": "en",
      "word": "bee"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "bee"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "be"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "beye"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "bie"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Scots",
      "lang_code": "sco",
      "word": "bea"
    },
    {
      "lang": "Yola",
      "lang_code": "yol",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "been"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "ang:bēo<id:bee>",
        "id": "noun",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰey-der.\nProto-Germanic *bijǭ\nProto-West Germanic *bijā\nOld English bēo\nMiddle English bee\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰey-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bijǭ\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bijā\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bēo\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"bee\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" }\" data-id=\"noun\" data-lang=\"enm\" data-title=\"bee\" id=\"Middle_English:_noun\">",
      "name": "etymon"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bēo"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bēo",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*bijā"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *bijā",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*bijō",
        "t": "bee"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bijō (“bee”)",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰey-",
        "t": "bee"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”)",
      "name": "inh"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰey-der.\nProto-Germanic *bijǭ\nProto-West Germanic *bijā\nOld English bēo\nMiddle English bee\nFrom Old English bēo, from Proto-West Germanic *bijā, from Proto-Germanic *bijō (“bee”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey- (“bee”).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "been",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bees",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "be",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "beo",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bey",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "noun",
        "g": "",
        "g2": "",
        "g3": "",
        "head": "",
        "sort": ""
      },
      "expansion": "bee",
      "name": "head"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "been",
        "pl2": "bees"
      },
      "expansion": "bee (plural been or bees)",
      "name": "enm-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "Middle English",
  "lang_code": "enm",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "Middle English entries with etymology trees",
        "Middle English entries with incorrect language header",
        "Middle English lemmas",
        "Middle English nouns",
        "Middle English terms derived from Old English",
        "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
        "Middle English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
        "Middle English terms derived from Proto-West Germanic",
        "Middle English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *bʰey-",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Old English",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European",
        "Middle English terms inherited from Proto-West Germanic",
        "Middle English terms with quotations",
        "Middle English weak nouns",
        "Pages with 24 entries",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Pages with etymology trees",
        "enm:Bees"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              12,
              16
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              10,
              14
            ]
          ],
          "english": "Just like bees swarm from a hive / Out of the devil's arse there were driven / Twenty thousand friars on a rout / And throughout hell they swarmed all about...",
          "ref": "a. 1400, Geoffrey Chaucer, “The Summoner's Tale”, in The Canterbury Tales, lines 1693–1696:",
          "text": "Right so as bees out swarmen from an hyve, / Out of the develes ers ther gonne dryve / Twenty thousand freres on a route / And thurghout helle swarmed al aboute...",
          "translation": "Just like bees swarm from a hive / Out of the devil's arse there were driven / Twenty thousand friars on a rout / And throughout hell they swarmed all about...",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A bee (insect that collects pollen)"
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "bee",
          "bee#English"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/beː/"
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/bøː/",
      "tags": [
        "Early-Middle-English"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "bee"
}

Download raw JSONL data for bee meaning in Middle English (4.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable Middle English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-05-09 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-05-01 using wiktextract (f3d3fdb and ae80fde). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.