Английский Этимологический словарь - bear (v.)

- O.E. beran "bear, bring, wear" (class IV strong verb; past tense bжr, pp. boren), from P.Gmc. *beranan, from PIE root *bher- meaning both "give birth" (though only Eng. and Ger. strongly retain this sense) and "carry, bring" (cf. Gk. pherу "I carry," L. ferre "to carry," O.Ir. beru/berim "I catch, I bring forth," Goth. bairan "to carry," Skt. bharati "carries," O.C.S. bпrati "to take"). Many senses are from notion of "move onward by pressure." O.E. past tense bжr became bare, the literary form till after 1600. Past participle distinction of borne for "carried" and born for "given birth" is 1775. Ball bearings "bear" the friction; bearing "way of carrying oneself" is in M.E.