Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bilją

Probably from Proto-Indo-European *bʰey(H)- (“to strike; beat”), but the derivation is unclear; either:

• consecutive suffixes *-l- and *-yo-m
• a Verner alternant *billą < *bidlą (or *bīdlą) of *bīþlą^[1] (if such a reconstruction is valid; compare Old Norse bíldr m) in the weak stem, but in that case the origin of the ja-stem is unexplained.

Alternatively, the West Germanic terms were borrowed from unattested Old Norse *bill- < *biþl-, or there is a more complicated borrowing situation within West Germanic. (Can this⁽⁺⁾ etymology be sourced?)

• IPA^(key): /ˈbil.jɑ̃/

*bilją n(West Germanic)

1. a cutting implement; blade; axe; sword
2. spike; peg; nail

• *bidlą^[1]

• *bīþlaz

Note: In some daughter languages, *bilją was conflated with another similar word with a long ī, also meaning "axe"; see German Beil for more.

• Old English: bill, bil n
  • Middle English: bil, bille, bill
    • Scots: bill
    • English: bill
• (Old Frisian: *bile)
  • (West Frisian: bile)
• Old Saxon: bil n; (*bīhal; *bīhala)
  • Middle Low German: bil n; (bīl n; bīle f)
    • (German Low German: Biel n or f)
    • → Danish: bil (“axe”)
    • → Swedish: bila (“axe”)
• Old Dutch: *billi; (*bīal; *bīala)
  • Middle Dutch: bille; (bīle, bijl)
    • Dutch: bil, (bijl)
      • (Afrikaans: byl)
• Old High German: billi n; (bīhal n; bīhala f)
  • Middle High German: bille, bil n; (bīhel, bīel, pīel, bīl, bīle n)
    • German: Bille f; (Beil n)