Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *bʰébʰrus, reduplicated form of *bʰreu- ‎(“shiny, light brown”) (whence also bērs, q.v.). The original meaning of bebrs was thus “brown one.” Cognates include Lithuanian bẽbras, bebrùs, Old Prussian bebrus, Proto-Slavic *bebrъ, *bobrъ, *bьbrъ (Old East Slavic бебръ ‎(bebrŭ), бобръ ‎(bobrŭ), Russian бобр ‎(bobr), Belarusian бабёр ‎(babjór), бабрак ‎(babrák), Ukrainian бобер ‎(bobér), бібр ‎(bibr), Bulgarian бъбър ‎(bǎ́bǎr), бобър ‎(bóbǎr), бебер ‎(béber), Czech bobr, Polish bóbr), Old High German bibar, German Biber, English beaver, Avestan [script needed] ‎(bawra), Latin fiber.^[1]

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bæbɾs]