From Middle English humbylbee, from humbyl, (from OE, PG), from the root of hum , reinterpretated as homophone humble, and bee. Replaced by bumblebee.

{{R}} https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humble-bee

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from Lua error in Module:etymology at line 374: Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) is not set as an ancestor of Enggano (eno) in Module:languages/data/3/e. The ancestor of Enggano is Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (poz-pro).. The origin of the b is uncertain, possibly geminated in PWG *humla, or retaining a byform lost in other branches.

possibly of onomatopoetic origin, derived from the verb *humana and the suffix *... . Compare Czech,..., Lith. Compare for analogy brummen and Bräme

Descendant forms with -b- are probably related but lack an established explanation.

Epenthesis in the cluster m(b)l is likely? Alternatively, assimilation is also possible. If *b was originally present in some intermediate form, a derivation from the root of *binō, PIE *bhey is imaginable.

The Balto-Slavic congeners are inconclusive in this regard but may be taken as evidence against b. (Congeners in the sense that the Slavic comparands and the Baltic ones respectively are cognate)

Cf. *bino, a relation to beatle and bite (viz. sting) or bug is imaginable.

forms like my-flg (see Kroonen: *bino?) should be considerex for a chance of irregular b from f. Humbug!

the stem is hardly in doubt, but many appealing alternatives could be imagined. note bee cults and the impressive size of this humble bee.

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