Spelling Bee

The “bee” in spelling bee means a gathering or get together. The earliest documented case of this word appearing with this meaning was in 1769, referring to a spinning bee, where people would gather to protest purchasing goods from Britain due to the high taxes on those items.

Any sort of major competition or work gathering, with a specific task in mind, was a 'bee'. Gatherings that were commonly labeled with 'bee' were: apple bee, logging bee, quilting bee, barn bee, hanging bee, sewing bee, field bee, and corn husking bee, among others.

The popular theory among etymologists today is that it is likely that the actual origin of bee, in the sense of gathering, derives from the Old English bēn (prayer / favor), or the Middle English 'bene'. Finally, this resulted in “bean” meaning “help given by neighbors”.

The first US National Spelling Bee was in 1925, sponsored by the Louisville Courier-Journal. Nine finalists competed in the first spelling bee in Washington D.C. The winning word that year was “gladiolus”, spelled by Frank Neuhauser.

In 1941, E.W. Scripps Company began sponsoring the National Spelling Bee and changed the name to Scripps National Spelling Bee.

It offers a study booklet to prospective contestants that contains between 1,000 and 4,000 words. It also currently offers a list of over 24,000 words that include all words used in the National Spelling Bee since 1950, sorted by frequency of use in the contest. The word that has been used the most in the National Spelling Bee is connoisseur.

The winner of the National Spelling Bee receives several prizes including: $30,000 cash prize from the National Spelling Bee; $5,000 cash prize from Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation; $2,500 savings bond; a complete reference library from Merriam-Webster; a lifetime membership to Britannica Online Premium Encyclopedia; $2,600 worth of reference works; and a trophy. The second place contestant receives $12,500.

To date, 45 girls have won the spelling bee vs. 41 boys. That is sure to create a buzz.

To Bee or Not to Bee

It is not exactly clear where the word derives from, but “bee” as in “spelling bee” means a gathering or get together.  One early case referred to a “spinning bee”, where people would gather to protest purchasing goods from Britain due to the high taxes on those items. Other gatherings that were commonly labeled with “bee” were: apple bee, logging bee, quilting bee, barn bee, hanging bee, sewing bee, and corn husking bee. 

Any competition or work gathering, with a specific task in mind, tended to get the “bee” label added on the end.  With many of these bees being tedious work events, it was also customary to serve refreshments and provide entertainment at the end of the task.