Germania Semitica: Biene und Imme : Mit einem Anhang zu lat. apis

The bee words (root + bi- or *bhi- with various suffixes) only occur in the northwest Indo-European languages (Germanic, Balto-Slavic, Celtic), the Imme word (NHG Imme bee', OHG imbi, OE ymbe [swarm of] bees') only in the West Germanic languages. They are thus likely to be loan-words. Since the domestication of the honey-bee was first achieved in Ancient Egypt and since there are other indications of a prehistoric colonization of the European Atlantic littoral by Hamito-Semitic peoples, the bee words are explained by means of borrowed Egypt. bj-t honey-bee' (also honey') and the Imme word as a compound + HVm + bi- (>imbi-) of Semit. + HVm- people' and the bee root + bi-. The appendix offers an etymology of Lat. api-s bee' as borrowed Egypt. 'fj bee' ('fj n bjt honey-bee')