*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of bid

From Middle English bidden, from Old English biddan (“to ask, demand”), from Proto-West Germanic *biddjan, from Proto-Germanic *bidjaną (“to ask”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰedʰ-. Conflated with Old English bēodan (“t

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To issue a command; to tell. · To invite; to summon. · To utter a greeting or salutation. · To proclaim (a bede, prayer); to pray.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English bidden, from Old English biddan (“to ask, demand”), from Proto-West Germanic *biddjan, from Proto-Germanic *bidjaną (“to ask”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰedʰ-. Conflated with Old English bēodan (“to offer, announce”) (see Etymology 2 below). Compare West Frisian bidde, Low German bidden, Dutch bidden ("to pray"), German bitten, Danish bede, Norwegian Bokmål be.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gʷʰedʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bidden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bidden"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*biddjan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *biddjan"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*bidjaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to ask"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bidjaną (“to ask”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*gʷʰedʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰedʰ-"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "fy",
        "2": "bidde"
      },
      "expansion": "West Frisian bidde"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "bidden"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German bidden"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bidden"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bidden"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "bitten"
      },
      "expansion": "German bitten"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "bede"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish bede"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "be"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål be"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "bidden",
      "bidden#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "biddan",
      "biddan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*biddjan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/biddjan"
    ],
    [
      "*bidjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bidjaną"
    ],
    [
      "*gʷʰedʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/gʷʰedʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "bēodan",
      "beodan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "bidde",
      "bidde#West_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "bidden",
      "bidden#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "bidden",
      "bidden#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "bitten",
      "bitten#German"
    ],
    [
      "bede",
      "bede#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "be",
      "be#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To issue a command; to tell.",
        "To invite; to summon.",
        "To utter a greeting or salutation.",
        "To proclaim (a bede, prayer); to pray."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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    "lexicalSenses": 0,
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

An offer at an auction, or to carry out a piece of work. · A (failed) attempt to receive or intercept a pass. · An attempt, effort, or pursuit (of a goal). · A particular route that a driver regularly takes from their domicile.

verb

To make an offer to pay or accept a certain price. · To offer as a price; to tender. · To make an attempt. · To announce (one's goal), before starting play.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English beden, from Old English bēodan (“to offer, announce”), from Proto-Germanic *beudaną (“to offer”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“be awake, aware”). Conflated with Old English biddan (“to ask, demand”) (see Etymology 1 above). Compare Low German bieden, beden, Dutch bieden, German bieten, Danish byde, Norwegian Bokmål by. More at bede.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰewdʰ-"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "beden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English beden"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*beudaną",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to offer"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *beudaną (“to offer”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰewdʰ-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "be awake, aware"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰewdʰ- (“be awake, aware”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "bieden"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German bieden"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bieden"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bieden"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "bieten"
      },
      "expansion": "German bieten"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "byde"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish byde"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "by"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål by"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "beden",
      "beden#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "bēodan",
      "beodan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*beudaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/beudaną"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰewdʰ-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰewdʰ-"
    ],
    [
      "biddan",
      "biddan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "bieden",
      "bieden#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "beden",
      "beden#Low_German"
    ],
    [
      "bieden",
      "bieden#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "bieten",
      "bieten#German"
    ],
    [
      "byde",
      "byde#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "by",
      "by#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ],
    [
      "bede",
      "bede"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "An offer at an auction, or to carry out a piece of work.",
        "A (failed) attempt to receive or intercept a pass.",
        "An attempt, effort, or pursuit (of a goal).",
        "A particular route that a driver regularly takes from their domicile."
      ],
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    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To make an offer to pay or accept a certain price.",
        "To offer as a price; to tender.",
        "To make an attempt.",
        "To announce (one's goal), before starting play."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive",
        "transitive",
        "ambitransitive"
      ],
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    "lexicalSenses": 2,
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for bid →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Ymlk