blijven (Dutch)
Where does "blijven" come from?
The Dutch verb 'blijven' traces back to the Proto-Germanic term *bilībaną, a combination meaning 'to remain' or 'stay behind'. This ancient root likely links to the Proto-Indo-European *leyp-, a word associated with sticking or remaining in place. Over centuries, the word evolved through Old and Middle Dutch before settling into its modern form, continuing to serve as the standard way to express the act of staying or continuing.
Full etymology tree
- blijven (Dutch), 'to stay, to remain'
- inherited bliven (Middle Dutch), 'to become'
- inherited blīvan (Old Dutch), 'to remain'
- inherited *bilīban (Proto-West Germanic), 'to stay, to remain in place'
- inherited *bilībaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to stay, to remain in place'
- compound *bi- (Proto-Germanic), 'by, at; a general locative prefix.'
- inherited *h₁pi (Pre-Germanic)
- inherited *h₁epi (Proto-Indo-European), 'on, at, near'
- inherited *h₁pi (Pre-Germanic)
- compound *lībaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to remain, to be left'
- inherited *leyp- (Proto-Indo-European), 'to stick'
- compound *bi- (Proto-Germanic), 'by, at; a general locative prefix.'
- inherited *bilībaną (Proto-Germanic), 'to stay, to remain in place'
- inherited *bilīban (Proto-West Germanic), 'to stay, to remain in place'
- inherited blīvan (Old Dutch), 'to remain'
- inherited bliven (Middle Dutch), 'to become'
Ancestors
- bliven (Middle Dutch)
- blivan (Old Dutch)
- *bilīban (Proto-West Germanic)
- *bilībaną (Proto-Germanic)
Descendants and derived words
- bly (Afrikaans)
- bly (Afrikaans)
- aanblijven (Dutch)
- achterblijven (Dutch)
- afblijven (Dutch)
- afblijven (Dutch)
- bijblijven (Dutch)
- bij de les blijven (Dutch)
- blijven hangen (Dutch)
- blijven zitten (Dutch)
- nablijven (Dutch)
- nablijven (Dutch)
Updated June 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris