The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
Appendix II
Semitic Roots
ENTRY:
bb.
DEFINITION:
Common Semitic noun *ibb-, *ubb-, *ubb-, fly. Beelzebub, from Hebrew bacal zbûb, lord (of the) fly, from zbûb, fly (pejorative alteration of bacal zbûl, lord prince, name of a Philistine god; see bcl and zbl).
bb.
b-, *
b-, fly. Beelzebub, from Hebrew bacal z
bûb, lord (of the) fly, from z
