Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bibjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂-, *bʰoyh₂- ‎(“to be frightened”). Cognates to Old Frisian bivia, Old English bifian, Dutch beven, Old High German bibēn (German beben), Old Norse bifa (Swedish bäva). Indo-European cognates are found in Slavic *bōyātī (боꙗти ‎(bojati, “to fear”), Russian бояться, Polish bać się), Baltic *baida- (Lithuanian baidas)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɪβɔn/