beer

beer
beer O.E. beor "strong drink, beer, mead," a word of much-disputed and ambiguous origin, cognate with O.Fris. biar, M.Du., Du. bier, O.H.G. bior, Ger. Bier. Probably a 6c. West Germanic monastic borrowing of V.L. biber "a drink, beverage" (from L. infinitive bibere "to drink;" see IMBIBE (Cf. imbibe)). Another suggestion is that it comes from P.Gmc. *beuwoz-, from *beuwo- "barley." The native Germanic word for the beverage was the one that yielded ALE (Cf. ale) (q.v.).
Beer was a common drink among most of the European peoples, as well as in Egypt and Mesopotamia, but was known to the Greeks and Romans only as an exotic product. [Buck]
They did have words for it, however. Gk. brytos, used in reference to Thracian or Phrygian brews, was related to O.E. breowan "brew;" L. zythum is from Gk. zythos, first used of Egyptian beer and treated as an Egyptian word but perhaps truly Greek and related to zyme "leaven." French bière is from Germanic. Spanish cerveza is from L. cervesia "beer," perhaps related to L. cremor "thick broth." O.C.S. pivo, source of the general Slavic word for "beer," is originally "a drink" (Cf. O.C.S. piti "drink"). French bière is a 16c. borrowing from German. U.S. slang beer goggles, through which every potential romantic partner looks desirable, is from 1986.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • béer — [ bee ] v. intr. <conjug. : 1> • baer 1121; lat. pop. °batare « bâiller » 1 ♦ Rare Être grand ouvert. Qui bée. ⇒ béant. « À ses pieds béait la valise bigarrée d étiquettes multicolores » (Martin du Gard). 2 ♦ Littér. Avoir la bouche ouverte …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Beer — steht für: Beer (Familienname), der Familienname Beer Beer (Architektenfamilie), eine Familie von Barockbaumeistern aus dem Bregenzer Wald Beer (Devon), einen Ort in England Beer (Somerset), eine Ortschaft in der Gemeinde Aller in Somerset in… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • beer — W3S2 [bıə US bır] n [: Old English; Origin: beor] 1.) [U] an alcoholic drink made from ↑malt and ↑hops ▪ a pint of beer ▪ We sell traditional draught beer (=beer served from a large container, not a bottle) . 2.) a glass, bottle, or can of beer …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • beer´i|ly — beer|y «BIHR ee», adjective, beer|i|er, beer|i|est. 1. of beer: »a beery odor. 2. caused by or influenced by beer: »beery good humor …   Useful english dictionary

  • beer|y — «BIHR ee», adjective, beer|i|er, beer|i|est. 1. of beer: »a beery odor. 2. caused by or influenced by beer: »beery good humor …   Useful english dictionary

  • Beer — Beer, n. [OE. beor, ber, AS. be[ o]r; akin to Fries. biar, Icel. bj?rr, OHG. bior, D. & G. bier, and possibly E. brew. [root]93, See {Brew}.] 1. A fermented liquor made from any malted grain, but commonly from barley malt, with hops or some other …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Beer —    Beer has been brewed in Brussels and the surrounding communes since the beginning of the 13th century, ever since the requisite grains barley and wheat and hops have been grown here. In 1295, John II, duke of Brabant, authorized the city… …   Historical Dictionary of Brussels

  • beer — [ bır ] noun *** uncount a yellow or brown alcoholic drink made from MALT (=grain that has been left in water and then dried) and HOPS (=a type of plant). You make or brew beer: I don t drink beer, only wine. a barrel of beer a. count a glass or… …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • beer — BEER. v. n. Tenir la bouche ouverte en regardant long temps quelque chose. Il n est en usage qu en cette phrase prov. & figurée. Beer aux corneilles, pour dire, S amuser à regarder en l air niaisement. Beer, signifie aussi figur. Desirer quelque… …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • beer — ► NOUN ▪ an alcoholic drink made from yeast fermented malt flavoured with hops. ● beer and skittles Cf. ↑beer and skittles ORIGIN from Latin biber a drink , from bibere to drink …   English terms dictionary

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