be
Translingual edit
Etymology edit
Abbreviation of English Belarusian
Symbol edit
be
English edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle English been (“to be”).
The various forms have three separate origins, which were mixed together at various times in the history of English.
- The forms beginning with b- come from Old English bēon (“to be, become”), from Proto-Germanic *beuną (“to be, exist, come to be, become”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰúHt (“to grow, become, come into being, appear”), from the root *bʰuH-. In particular:
- Now-dialectal use of been as an infinitive of be is either from Middle English been (“to be”) or an extension of the past participle.
- Now-obsolete use of been as a plural present tense (meaning "are") is from Middle English been, be (present plural of been (“to be”), with the -n leveled in from the past and subjunctive; compare competing forms aren/are).
- Use of been as a past participle is from Middle English been, ybeen, from Old English ġebēon.
- The forms beginning with w- come from the aforementioned Old English bēon, which shared its past tense with the verb wesan, from Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wes- (“to reside”).
- The remaining forms (am, are, is) are also from Old English wesan (“to be”), from Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ésti, from the root *h₁es-.
Pronunciation edit
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /biː/
Audio (RP; “to be”) (file) - (General American) IPA(key): /bi/
Audio (GA) (file) - Rhymes: -iː
- Homophones: b, bee, Bea
Verb edit
be (highly irregular; see conjugation table)
- As an auxiliary verb:
- (auxiliary) Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice.
- The dog was saved by the boy.
- 1995, C. K. Ogden, Psyche: An Annual General and Linguistic Psychology 1920-1952, C. K. Ogden, →ISBN, page 13:
- Study courses of Esperanto and Ido have been broadcast.
- Used with present participles of verbs to form the continuous aspect.
- The woman is walking.
- I shall be writing to you soon.
- We liked to chat while we were eating.
- (formal) Used with to-infinitives of verbs to express intent, obligation, appropriateness, or relative future occurrence.
- I am to leave tomorrow.
- They are to stay here until I return.
- The season opener was to have been on Monday.
- How were they to know the whole exercise was a ruse?
- They were to have been married overseas but COVID forced a change of plans.
- Used with past participles of certain intransitive verbs to form the perfect aspect.
- c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], page 133:
- They are not yet come back.
- 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Revelation 18:2:
- And he cryed mightily with a strõg voyce, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of deuils […]
- 1850, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, The Blessed Damozel, ll.67-68:
- ‘I wish that he were come to me, / For he will come,’ she said.
- Matthew 28:6 (various translations, from the King James Version of 1611 to Revised Version of 1881):
- He is not here; for he is risen […].
- 1922, A. E. Housman, Last Poems XXV, l.13, page 51:
- The King with half the East at heel is marched from lands of morning;
- 1965, J. Robert Oppenheimer, The Decision to Drop the Bomb:
- I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita: Vishnu is trying to persuade the Prince that he should do his duty and, to impress him, he takes on his multi-armed form and says, "Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." I suppose we all thought that, one way or another.
- 1985, Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian, page 4:
- His origins are become remote as is his destiny and not again in all the world’s turning will there be terrains so wild and barbarous to try whether the stuff of creation may be shaped to man’s will or whether his own heart is not another kind of clay.
- (African-American Vernacular, Caribbean, Ireland, auxiliary, not conjugated) To tend to do, often do; marks the habitual aspect.
- 1996, David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, Tom Shadyac and Steve Oedekerk, screenplay of The Nutty Professor
- Women be shoppin’! You cannot stop a woman from shoppin’!
- 2020, Moneybagg Yo, Thug Cry:
- Niggas be tellin' these bitches 'bout business
- 1996, David Sheffield, Barry W. Blaustein, Tom Shadyac and Steve Oedekerk, screenplay of The Nutty Professor
- (auxiliary) Used with past participles of verbs to form the passive voice.
- As a copulative verb:
- (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist.
- There is just one woman in town who can help us.
- (or, dialectally:) It is just one woman in town who can help us.
- c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i], page 178:
- Some men there are loue not a gaping Pigge: / Some that are mad, if they behold a Cat: / And others, when the bag-pipe sings i’th nose, / Cannot containe their Vrine for affection.
- 1817 (date written), [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Persuasion; published in Northanger Abbey: And Persuasion. […], volume IV, London: John Murray, […], 20 December 1817 (indicated as 1818), →OCLC, page 170:
- "There is a sort of domestic enjoyment to be known even in a crowd, and this you had."
- 2011 July 6, Mark Sweney, The Guardian:
- "There has been lots of commentary on who is staying and who is staying out and this weekend will be the real test," said one senior media buying agency executive who has pulled the advertising for one major client.
- Used to indicate that the subject and object are identical or equivalent.
- Hi, I’m Jim.
- 3 times 5 is fifteen.
- These four are the ones going to the quarter-finals.
- François Mitterrand was president of France from 1981 to 1995.
- This is how we do it.
- Used to indicate that the subject is an instance of the predicate nominal.
- Rex is a dog.
- A dog is an animal.
- Dogs are animals.
- Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by an adjective, prepositional phrase.
- The sky is blue.
- Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. (Luke 22:42)
- Used to indicate that the subject has the qualities described by a noun or noun phrase.
- The sky is a deep blue today.
- Used to link a subject to a measurement.
- This building is three hundred years old.
- I am 75 kilograms.
- He’s about 6 feet tall.
- (with a cardinal numeral) Used to state the age of a subject in years.
- I’m 20 (years old).
- (with a dummy subject it) Used to indicate the time of day.
- It is almost eight (o’clock).
- It’s 8:30 [read eight-thirty] in Tokyo.
- What time is it there? It’s night.
- (with since) Used to indicate passage of time since the occurrence of an event.
- It has been three years since my grandmother died. (similar to "My grandmother died three years ago", but emphasizes the intervening period)
- It had been six days since his departure, when I received a letter from him.
- (rare and regional, chiefly in the past tense) Used to link two noun clauses, the first of which is a day of the week, recurring date, month, or other specific time (on which the event of the main clause took place), and the second of which is a period of time indicating how long ago that day was. [from 15th c.]
- I saw her Monday was a week: I saw her a week ago last Monday (a week before last Monday).
- On the morning of Sunday was fortnight before Christmas: on the morning of the Sunday that was two weeks before the Sunday prior to Christmas.
- 1748, [Samuel Richardson], Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume V, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; […], →OCLC, page 97:
- Miss Lardner (whom you have seen at her cousin Biddulph's) saw you at St James's church on Sunday was fortnight.
- 1770, Historical Memoirs of the Irish Rebellion, in the year 1641 […] In a letter to Walter Harris, Esq; [By John Curry.] The fourth edition, with corrections throughout the whole, and large additions, by the author, Ireland, page 186:
- And so, without as much as to return home to furnish myself for such a journey, volens, nolens, they prevailed, or rather forced me to come to Dublin to confer with those colonels, and that was the last August was twelvemonth.
- 1803, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons, Journals of the House of Commons, page 249:
- That they were present at the Election in August was Twelvemonth, at which there was the strictest Scrutiny that ever they saw in their Lives, by all the Four Candidates.
- 1815 February 24, [Walter Scott], chapter V, in Guy Mannering; or, The Astrologer. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, […]; and Archibald Constable and Co., […], →OCLC, pages 79-80:
- Allow me to recommend some of the kipper—It was John Hay that catched it Saturday was three weeks.
- 1859, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], “The Quest”, in Adam Bede […], volume III, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book fifth, page 53:
- “Did there come no young woman here—very young and pretty—Friday was a fortnight, to see Dinah Morris?”
- 1895, Miss M. E. Rope of Suffolk, quoted by Joseph Wright, in The English Dialect Dictionary, page 202:
- 'Twas there to-morrow is a week.
- 1907, John Millington Synge, The Playboy of the Western World, I, page 20:
- I killed my poor father, Tuesday was a week, for doing the like of that.
- 1920 (published), St. George Kieran Hyland, A Century of Persecution Under Tudor and Stuart Sovereigns from Contemporary Records, London, Paul, page 402, quoting an earlier document, Loosley volume 5, no. 28, "List of Prisoners: In Sir W. More's handwriting": :
- Theobald Green gent dead in the Marshalsea in August was twelvemonth
- John Grey gent delivered out of the Marshalsea about August last by Mr. Secretary and remains in St. Mary Overies.
- John Jacob gent delivered out of the Marsh. the XVII of May was twelvemonth and sent to Bridewell by order of the Council.
- (often impersonal, with it as a dummy subject) Used to indicate weather, air quality, or the like.
- It is hot in Arizona, but it is not usually humid.
- Why is it so dark in here?
- (dynamic / lexical be, especially in progressive tenses, conjugated non-suppletively in the present tense, see usage notes) To exist or behave in a certain way.
- 2006 October 9, Kristin Newman (writer), Barney Stinson (character), How I Met Your Mother, season 2, episode 1:
- "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be awesome instead."
- "What do we do?" "We be ourselves."
- When I play fantasy games, I always be a gnome.
- Why is he being nice to me?
- 2006 October 9, Kristin Newman (writer), Barney Stinson (character), How I Met Your Mother, season 2, episode 1:
- (with there, or dialectally it, as dummy subject) To exist.
- As an intransitive lexical verb:
- (now usually literary) To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.
- The Universe has no explanation: it just is.
- That was the week that was.
- 1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Matthew ij:[18], folio iij, recto:
- Rachel wepynge ffor her chyldren / and wolde nott be comforted becauſe they were not.
- c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iii], page 265:
- To be, or not to be: that is the question: / Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer / The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, / Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, / And by opposing end them?
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC, page 351:
- […] it were great sottishnesse, and apparent false-hood, to say, that that is which is not yet in being, or that already hath ceased from being.
- 1643, Thomas Browne, Religio Medici, II.2, link:
- There is surely a peece of Divinity in us, something that was before the Elements, and owes no homage unto the Sun.
- 1893, Andrew Martin Fairbairn, Christ in the Centuries, and Other Sermons, 2nd edition, volume 12, E.P. Dutton & Company, page 116:
- And after this death there is to be no resurrection. The old man of sin has ceased to be; once crucified, he lives no more. The death is utter; the end complete.
- 1969 December 7, Monty Python, “Full Frontal Nudity, Dead Parrot sketch”, in Monty Python's Flying Circus, spoken by Mr Praline (John Cleese):
- This parrot is no more! It has ceased to be! It's expired and gone to meet its maker! This is a late parrot! It's a stiff! Bereft of life, it rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed it to the perch it would be pushing up the daisies!
- 2004 December 13, Richard Schickel, “Not Just an African Story”, in Time:
- The genial hotel manager of the past is no more. Now owner of a trucking concern and living in Belgium, Rusesabagina says the horrors he witnessed in Rwanda "made me a different man."
- To remain undisturbed in a certain state or situation.
- Let them be for a few hours.
- Leave us be until the guests arrive.
- To occupy a place.
- The cup is on the table.
- To occur, to take place.
- When will the meeting be?
- (in perfect tenses) Elliptical form of "be here", "go to and return from" or similar, also extending to certain other senses of "go".
- The postman has been today, but my tickets have still not yet come.
- I have been to Spain many times.
- We've been about twenty miles.
- I have terrible constipation – I haven't been for several days.
- They have been through a great deal of trouble.
- (now usually literary) To exist; to have real existence, to be alive.
Usage notes edit
- When used copulatively with a pronoun, traditional grammar puts the pronoun in the subjective case (I, he, she, we, they) rather than the objective case (me, him, her, us, them), regardless of which side of the copula it is placed. For example, “I was the masked man” and “The masked man was I” would both be considered correct, while “The masked man was me” and “Me was the masked man” would both be incorrect. However, most colloquial speech treats the verb be as transitive, in which case the pronoun is used in the objective case if it occurs after the copula: “I was the masked man” but “The masked man was me”. This paradigm applies even if the copula is linking two pronouns; thus “I am her” and “She is me", and “Am I me?” (versus the traditional “I am she”, “She is I”, “Am I I?”). However, the use of whom with a copula is generally considered incorrect and a hypercorrection, though in some cases (especially in sentences involving a to-infinitive or a perfect tense), such as “Whom do you want to be?”, it can come naturally to some speakers; in short, straightforward sentences, such as “Whom are you?”, this is much rarer and likelier to be considered incorrect.
- In most copulative and intransitive con-copulative senses be is generally a stative verb that rarely takes the continuous aspect. See Category:English stative verbs.
Conjugation edit
Modern
infinitive | (to) be | ||
---|---|---|---|
present tense | past tense | ||
1st-person singular | am, 'm | was, 's*, were* | |
2nd-person singular | are, 're | were | |
3rd-person singular | is, 's, are**, 're** | was, were*, were** | |
plural | are, 're | were, was*, 's* | |
subjunctive | be | were | |
imperative | be | — | |
participles | being | been |
Archaic
infinitive | (to) be | ||
---|---|---|---|
present tense | past tense | ||
1st-person singular | am, 'm, be† | was, 's*, were* | |
2nd-person singular | are, 're, art†, 'rt† | were, wast†, wert† | |
3rd-person singular | is, 's, beeth†, bes† | was, were* | |
plural | are, 're, be†, been† | were, was*, 's*, weren† | |
subjunctive | be, beest† | were, wert† | |
imperative | be | — | |
participles | being | been |
- The verb be is the most irregular non-defective verb in Standard English. Unlike other verbs, which distinguish at most five forms (as in do–does–doing–did–done), be distinguishes eight:
- Be itself is the plain form, used as the infinitive, as the imperative, and as the present subjunctive (though many speakers do not distinguish the present indicative and present subjunctive, using the indicative forms for both).
- I want to be a father someday. (infinitive)
- If that be true... (present subjunctive; is is common in this position)
- Allow the truth to be heard! (infinitive)
- Please be here by eight o’clock. (imperative)
- The librarian asked that the rare books not be touched. (present subjunctive; speakers that do not distinguish the subjunctive and indicative would use an auxiliary verb construction here)
- Be is also used as the present tense indicative form in the alternative, dynamic / lexical conjugation of be:
- What do we do? We be ourselves. (first-person plural present indicative, lexical be)
- but: Who are we? We are human beings. (first-person plural present indicative, copula be)
- Be is also used as the present tense indicative form in the alternative, dynamic / lexical conjugation of be:
- It is also an archaic alternative form of the indicative, especially in the plural:[1]
- The powers that be, are ordained of God. (Romans 13:1, Tyndale Bible, 1526)[2]
- We are true men; we are no spies: We be twelve brethren... (Genesis 42:31–2, King James Version, 1611)[3]
- I think it be thine indeed, for thou liest in it. (Hamlet, Act V, Scene 1, circa 1600 – though this may be viewed as the subjunctive instead)[4]
- Am, are, and is are the forms of the present indicative. Am is the first-person singular (used with I); is is the third-person singular (used with he, she, it and other subjects that would be used with does rather than do); and are is both the second-person singular and the plural (used with we, you, they, and any other plural subjects).
- Am I in the right place? (first-person singular present indicative)
- You are even taller than your brother! (second-person singular present indicative)
- Where is the library? (third-person singular present indicative)
- These are the biggest shoes we have. (plural present indicative)
- Was and were are the forms of the past indicative and past subjunctive (like did). In the past indicative, was is the first- and third-person singular (used with I, as well as with he, she, it and other subjects that would be used with does rather than do), and were is both the second-person singular and the plural (used with we, you, they, and any other plural subjects). In the traditional past subjunctive, were is used with all subjects, though many speakers do not actually distinguish the past subjunctive from the past indicative, and therefore use was with first- and third-person singular subjects even in cases where other speakers would use were.
- I was out of town. (first-person singular past indicative)
- You were the first person here. (second-person singular past indicative)
- The room was dirty. (third-person singular past indicative)
- We were angry at each other. (plural past indicative)
- I wish I were more sure. (first-person singular past subjunctive; was is also common, though considered less correct by some)
- If she were here, she would know what to do. (third-person singular past subjunctive; was is also common, though considered less correct by some)
- Being is the gerund and present participle, used in progressive aspectual forms, after various catenative verbs, and in other constructions that function like nouns, adjectivally or adverbially. (It’s also used as a deverbal noun and as a conjunction; see those senses in the entry for being itself.)
- Being in London and being in Tokyo have similar rewards but in different languages. (gerund in grammatical subject)
- All of a sudden, he’s being nice to everyone. (present participle in progressive aspect)
- His mood being good increased his productivity noticeably. (present participle in adjectival phrase)
- It won’t stop being a problem until someone does something about it. (gerund after catenative verb)
- Been is the past participle, used in the perfect aspect. In Middle English, it was also the infinitive.
- It’s been that way for a week and a half.
- Be itself is the plain form, used as the infinitive, as the imperative, and as the present subjunctive (though many speakers do not distinguish the present indicative and present subjunctive, using the indicative forms for both).
- In archaic or obsolete forms of English, with the pronoun thou, the verb be has a few additional forms:
- When the pronoun thou was in regular use, the forms art, wast, and wert were the corresponding present indicative, past indicative, and past subjunctive, respectively.
- As thou became less common and more highly marked, a special present-subjunctive form beest developed (replacing the regular present subjunctive form be, still used with all other subjects). Additionally, the form wert, previously a past subjunctive form, came to be used as a past indicative as well.
- The forms am, is, and are can contract with preceding subjects: I’m (“I am”), ’s (“is”), ’re (“are”). The form are most commonly contracts with personal pronouns (we’re (“we are”), you’re (“you are”), they’re (“they are”)), but contractions with other subjects are possible; the form is contracts quite freely with a variety of subjects. These contracted forms, however, are possible only when there is an explicit, non-preposed complement, and they cannot be stressed; therefore, the contractions cannot appear at the end of a sentence. Instead one must use the full forms, such as:
- Who’s here? —I am.
- I wonder what it is.
- Several of the finite forms of be have special negative forms, containing the suffix -n’t, that can be used instead of adding the adverb not. Specifically, the forms is, are, was, and were have the negative forms isn’t, aren’t, wasn’t, and weren’t. The form be itself does not, even in finite uses, with “not be” being used in the present subjunctive and “do not be” or “don’t be” (or, in dated use, “be not”) being used in the imperative. The form am has the negative forms aren’t, amn’t, and ain’t, but all of these are in restricted use; see their entries for details.
- Outside of Standard English, there is some variation in usage of some forms; some dialects, for example, use is or ’s throughout the present indicative (supplanting, in whole or in part, am and are), and/or was throughout the past indicative and past subjunctive (supplanting were).
Alternative forms edit
- bee (obsolete)
Synonyms edit
- (to exist): See also Thesaurus:exist
- (used to form passive): get
Derived terms edit
- be after
- be along
- be away (=be somewhere else)
- be down on sb. (show negative attitude towards sb.)
- be in (be at home or at work)
- be in on sth. (to be involved in sth.)
- be not on (be unacceptable)
- be off (1. be not fresh food) / (2. leave, depart)
- be on (take place)
- be on sth. (take drugs)
- be on about sth.
- be onto sb.
- be out (be away)
- be out of sth. (have no more left)
- be out to do sth. (attempt)
- be up (be out of bed)
- be up for sth. (look forward to sth.)
Translations edit
References edit
- “be”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- “be”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, →ISBN.
- “be”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
- "be" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.
Etymology 2 edit
A variant of by which goes back to Middle English be (variant of Middle English bi).
Pronunciation edit
Preposition edit
be
- (dialectal, possibly dated) Alternative form of by. Also found in compounds, especially oaths, e.g. begorra.
- 1851, Oliver Ormerod, Felley fro Rachde:
- O ful tru un pertikler akeawnt o... th' greyt Eggshibishun. Be o felley fro Rachde.
- 1860, Henry Baird, The Song of Solomon in the Devonshire Dialect, i 8:
- Go thy way vorth be tha vootsteps uv tha vlock.
- 1870, Joseph Philip Robson, Evangeline: The Spirit of Progress, section 332:
- Aw teuk me seat be day an' neet.
- 1870, Roger Piketah, Forness Folk, section 44:
- Fetchin' it yan... be a round about rooad.
- 1878, John Castillo, Poems in the North Yorkshire Dialect, section 35:
- Like a leeaf be firm decree / Mun fade an' fall.
- 1885, Alfred Lord Tennyson, To-morrow:
- ‘I'll meet you agin to-morra,’ says he, ‘be the chapel-door.’
Etymology 3 edit
Borrowed from Russian бэ (bɛ).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be (plural bes)
- The name of the Cyrillic script letter Б / б.
References edit
- ^ Goold Brown (1851), “Of Verbs”, in The Grammar of English Grammars, […], New York, N.Y.: […] Samuel S. & William Wood, […], page 357.
- ^ [William Tyndale, transl.] (1526) The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany]: [Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Romans xiij:[1], folio ccxiij, recto: “The powers that be / are ordeyned off God.”
- ^ The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], 1611, →OCLC, Genesis 42:31–32, column 2: “We are true men; we are no ſpies. We be twelue brethren […]”.
- ^ William Shakespeare (c. 1599–1602), “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 277, column 2: “I thinke it be thine indeed: for thou lieſt in’t.”
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Joseph Wright, editor (1898), “BE”, in The English Dialect Dictionary: […], volume I (A–C), London: Henry Frowde, […], publisher to the English Dialect Society, […]; New York, N.Y.: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, →OCLC.
Anagrams edit
Albanian edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-Albanian *bẹðə < *baidā, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰoydʰ-eh₂ < *bʰeydʰ- (“to persuade”).[1] Compare Old English bād (“pledge, expectation”), Proto-Slavic *bě̄dà, Ancient Greek πείθω (peíthō), Latin foedus.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be f (plural be, definite beja, definite plural betë)
Derived terms edit
References edit
Balinese edit
Romanization edit
be
- Romanization of ᬩᬾ
Basque edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be inan
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
Declension edit
indefinite | singular | plural | |
---|---|---|---|
absolutive | be | bea | beak |
ergative | bek | beak | beek |
dative | beri | beari | beei |
genitive | beren | bearen | been |
comitative | berekin | bearekin | beekin |
causative | berengatik | bearengatik | beengatik |
benefactive | berentzat | bearentzat | beentzat |
instrumental | bez | beaz | beez |
inessive | betan | bean | beetan |
locative | betako | beko | beetako |
allative | betara | bera | beetara |
terminative | betaraino | beraino | beetaraino |
directive | betarantz | berantz | beetarantz |
destinative | betarako | berako | beetarako |
ablative | betatik | betik | beetatik |
partitive | berik | — | — |
prolative | betzat | — | — |
See also edit
Blagar edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be
References edit
Catalan edit
Etymology 1 edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be f (plural bes)
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
Usage notes edit
- In some dialects of Catalan, the sounds associated with the letter b and the letter v are the same: [b ~ β]. In order to differentiate be and ve in those dialects, the letters are often called be alta (“high B”) and ve baixa (“low V”).
Derived terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
Onomatopoeic from the sound of a lamb.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be m (plural bens)
- sheep, ram, ewe, lamb; an individual of the species Ovis aries
Hyponyms edit
Further reading edit
- “be” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
Dorasque edit
Noun edit
be
- (Changuena, Chumulu, Gualaca) night
References edit
- Alphonse Louis Pinart, Vocabulario Castellano-dorasque, Dialectos Chumulu, Gualaca Y Changuina (1890)
East Central German edit
Etymology edit
From Old High German bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi. Compare German bei.
Preposition edit
be
Further reading edit
- 2020 June 11, Hendrik Heidler, Hendrik Heidler's 400 Seiten: Echtes Erzgebirgisch: Wuu de Hasen Hoosn haaßn un de Hosen Huusn do sei mir drhamm: Das Original Wörterbuch: Ratgeber und Fundgrube der erzgebirgischen Mund- und Lebensart: Erzgebirgisch – Deutsch / Deutsch – Erzgebirgisch[1], 3. geänderte Auflage edition, Norderstedt: BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 21:
Eastern Geshiza edit
Noun edit
be
- Flood.
Verb edit
be (1b)
- To flood, overflow.
References edit
- Honkalaso, Sami. 2019. A Grammar of Eastern Geshiza: A Culturally Anchored Description. University of Helsinki: PhD dissertation.
Esperanto edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Interjection edit
be
- The characteristic cry of a sheep.
Derived terms edit
Faroese edit
Noun edit
be n (genitive singular bes, plural be)
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
Declension edit
Declension of be | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
n4 | singular | plural | ||
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | be | beið | be | beini |
accusative | be | beið | be | beini |
dative | be, bei | benum | beum | beunum |
genitive | bes | besins | bea | beanna |
See also edit
Guerrero Amuzgo edit
Adjective edit
be
Hungarian edit
Pronunciation edit
Adverb edit
be (comparative beljebb, superlative legbeljebb)
Usage notes edit
This term may also be part of the split form of a verb prefixed with be-, occurring when the main verb does not follow the prefix directly. It can be interpreted only with the related verb form, irrespective of its position in the sentence, e.g. meg tudták volna nézni (“they could have seen it”, from megnéz). For verbs with this prefix, see be-; for an overview, Appendix:Hungarian verbal prefixes.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- (adverb: “in”): be in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
- (interjection-like adverb: “how…!”; a dated, poetic synonym of de): be in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
- be in Ittzés, Nóra (ed.). A magyar nyelv nagyszótára (‘A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published A–ez as of 2024)
Anagrams edit
Iau edit
Noun edit
be
Further reading edit
Bill Palmer, The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area (→ISBN, 2017), page 531, table 95, Comparative basic vocabulary in Lakes Plain Languages
Ido edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be (plural be-i)
- The name of the Latin script letter B/b.
See also edit
Indonesian edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bé
- The name of the Latin-script letter B/b.
Synonyms edit
- bi (Standard Malay)
See also edit
- (Latin-script letter names) huruf; a, be, ce, de, e, ef, ge, ha, i, je, ka, el, em, en, o, pe, ki, er, es, te, u, ve, we, eks, ye, zet
Further reading edit
- “be” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
Italian edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be f (invariable)
References edit
- ^ be in Luciano Canepari, Dizionario di Pronuncia Italiana (DiPI)
Further reading edit
- be in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana
Japanese edit
Romanization edit
be
Karajá edit
Noun edit
be
References edit
- David Lee Fortune, Gramática Karajá: um Estudo Preliminar em Forma Transformacional
Latin edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bē f (indeclinable)
- The name of the letter B.
Coordinate terms edit
- (Latin-script letter names) littera; ā, bē, cē, dē, ē, ef, gē, hā / *acca, ī, kā, el, em, en, ō, pē, kū, er, es, tē, ū, ix / īx / ex, ȳ / ī graeca / ȳpsīlon, zēta
References edit
- Arthur E. Gordon, The Letter Names of the Latin Alphabet (University of California Press, 1973; volume 9 of University of California Publications: Classical Studies), part III: “Summary of the Ancient Evidence”, page 32: "Clearly there is no question or doubt about the names of the vowels A, E, I, O, U. They are simply long A, long E, etc. (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū). Nor is there any uncertainty with respect to the six mutes B, C, D, G, P, T. Their names are bē, cē, dē, gē, pē, tē (each with a long E). Or about H, K, and Q: they are hā, kā, kū—each, again, with a long vowel sound."
Lithuanian edit
Pronunciation edit
Preposition edit
be (with genitive)
Antonyms edit
Malagasy edit
Adjective edit
be
Mandarin edit
Romanization edit
be
- Nonstandard spelling of bē.
- Nonstandard spelling of bê̄.
Usage notes edit
- Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
Middle English edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Old English bēon.
Verb edit
be
- Alternative form of been
Etymology 2 edit
From Old English bēo.
Noun edit
be
- Alternative form of bee
Etymology 3 edit
From Old English bēo, bēom, first-person singular of bēon, from Proto-Germanic *biumi, first-person singular of *beuną.
Verb edit
be
Usage notes edit
- Less common than am.
Etymology 4 edit
From Old English bēo, singular subjunctive of bēon.
Verb edit
be
Descendants edit
Etymology 5 edit
From Old English bēo, 2nd-person singular imperative of bēon, from Proto-Germanic *beu, 2nd-person singular imperative of *beuną.
Verb edit
be
Descendants edit
Etymology 6 edit
Old English bēoþ (with the -þ replaced with an -n levelled in from the past and subjunctive, then lost), present plural of bēon (“to be”), from Proto-Germanic *biunþi, third-person present plural of *beuną (“to be, become”).
Alternative forms edit
Verb edit
be
Usage notes edit
The usual plural form of been is aren in the North, been in the Midlands, and beth in the South; sind also existed, especially early on, but was not the predominant form in any area.
Descendants edit
Mòcheno edit
Etymology edit
From Middle High German wec, from Old High German weg, from Proto-West Germanic *weg, from Proto-Germanic *wegaz (“way, path”). Cognate with German Weg, English way.
Noun edit
be m
Derived terms edit
References edit
- “be” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.
Norwegian Bokmål edit
Etymology edit
Verb edit
be (imperative be, present tense ber, passive bes, simple past ba or bad, past participle bedt, present participle beende)
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
References edit
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Old Norse biðja. Akin to English bid.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
be (present tense ber, past tense bad, supine bede or bedd or bedt, past participle beden or bedd, present participle bedande, imperative be)
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
References edit
Occitan edit
Pronunciation edit
Audio (Gascon) (file)
Noun edit
be f (plural bes)
- bee (the letter b)
Old English edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-Germanic *bi.
Pronunciation edit
Preposition edit
be
- about (concerning)
- late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies
- Hū be mete? hū swīðe lyst þē þæs?
- How about food? How much dost thou desire that?
- late 10th century, Ælfric's Lives of Saints
- Iċ wāt eall be þām.
- I know all about that.
- late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies
- by, in various senses:
- near or next to
- not later than
- based on, according to
- for, in the account of
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Passion of St.Alban, Martyr"
- Eall swa þa unriht-wisan deman þe heora domas awendað, æfre be þam sceattum na be soðfæstnysse and habbað æfre to cepe heora soðfæstnysse, and swa hi sylfe syllað wið sceattum...
- So likewise those unrighteous judges who pervert their judgments, always for gain, and not for justice, and always offer their justice for sale, and thus sell themselves for the sake of money,...
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Passion of St.Alban, Martyr"
See also edit
Old Irish edit
Alternative forms edit
- (2nd sg. pres. subj.): ba
Verb edit
be
Phalura edit
Etymology edit
From Sanskrit वयम् (vayam, “we”).
Pronunciation edit
Pronoun edit
be (personal, Perso-Arabic spelling بےۡ)
- we (1pl nom)
References edit
- Liljegren, Henrik; Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[2], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
- Turner, Ralph Lilley (1969–1985), “be”, in A Comparative Dictionary of the Indo-Aryan Languages, London: Oxford University Press
Polish edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From the phonetic pronunciation of the letter B/b.
Noun edit
be n (indeclinable)
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
Etymology 2 edit
Adjective edit
be (comparative bardziej be, superlative najbardziej be, indeclinable, derived adverb be)
- (childish) icky, yucky
- Synonyms: see Thesaurus:zły
Adverb edit
be (comparative bardziej be, superlative najbardziej be)
Interjection edit
be
- (colloquial) used with children to tell them not to touch something, bad! no touchy!
- (onomatopoeia) used to imitate the sound of a sheep or ram, baa
- Synonym: me
Derived terms edit
Further reading edit
Romanian edit
Etymology edit
Interjection edit
be
- baa (sound made by sheep or goats)
Savi edit
Etymology edit
Pronoun edit
be
- we; first-person plural personal pronoun
References edit
- Nina Knobloch (2020) A grammar sketch of Sauji: An Indo-Aryan language of Afghanistan[3], Stockholm University
Scots edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle English been, from Old English bēon. The various forms have different further etymologies:
- The b- forms derive from Proto-Germanic *beuną.
- All other forms derive from Proto-West Germanic *wesan, from Proto-Germanic *wesaną
Alternative forms edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
be
- to be
Conjugation edit
infinitive | tae be | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
present participle | bein | |||||||||||||||||
past participle | been | |||||||||||||||||
person | singular | plural | ||||||||||||||||
A | thoo1 | he/she/it | we | ye | they | |||||||||||||
regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | |
present | am | amna | art | artna | is | isna | are | arena | are | arena | are | arena | ||||||
past | wis | wis, wir2 | ||||||||||||||||
1Archaic. | ||||||||||||||||||
2Used only with plural pronouns. |
infinitive | tae be | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
present participle | bein | |||||||||||||||||
past participle | been | |||||||||||||||||
person | singular | plural | ||||||||||||||||
A | ee | hei/shi/it | oo | yow yins | they | |||||||||||||
regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | regular | emphatic | negative | |
present | im | em, um | imni | ir | er, ur | irni | is | es | isni | ir | er, ur | irni | is | es | isni | ir | er, ur | irni |
past | wuz | wuz, wur | wuz | wur |
Etymology 2 edit
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Pronunciation edit
Conjunction edit
be
- Alternative form of by
References edit
- ^ “be, v..” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
- ^ “by, prep., adv., conj..” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
Serili edit
Noun edit
be
References edit
Slovene edit
Etymology edit
Probably from the German name of the letter B (pronounced [beː]).
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bẹ̑ m inan
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
Inflection edit
Masculine inan., soft o-stem | |||
---|---|---|---|
nom. sing. | bé | ||
gen. sing. | bêja | ||
singular | dual | plural | |
nominative (imenovȃlnik) |
bé | bêja | bêji |
genitive (rodȋlnik) |
bêja | bêjev | bêjev |
dative (dajȃlnik) |
bêju | bêjema | bêjem |
accusative (tožȋlnik) |
bé | bêja | bêje |
locative (mẹ̑stnik) |
bêju | bêjih | bêjih |
instrumental (orọ̑dnik) |
bêjem | bêjema | bêji |
Synonyms edit
Sotho edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-Bantu *-bɪ́ɪ̀.
Adjective edit
be
Spanish edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
Noun edit
be f (plural bes)
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
- Synonyms: be larga, be alta, be grande, be de burro
- Coordinate terms: uve, ve corta, ve baja, ve chica, ve de vaca
Derived terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
Echoic.
Noun edit
be m (plural bes)
- baa (bleating of a sheep)
Further reading edit
- “be”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014
Sumerian edit
Romanization edit
be
- Romanization of 𒁁 (be)
Swedish edit
Alternative forms edit
- bedja (archaic)
Etymology edit
From older bedja, from Old Swedish biþia, from Old Norse biðja, from Proto-Germanic *bidjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰedʰ-. Cognate with Danish bede, Icelandic biðja, English bid, Dutch bidden, German bitten.
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
be (present ber, preterite bad, supine bett, imperative be)
- to ask for, request someone else to do something
- Han bad om ett glas vatten ― He asked for a glass of water
- Jag vill be om en tjänst ― I want to ask you a favor
- Han bad honom lämna rummet ― He asked him to leave the room
- to pray
- De satt i kyrkan och bad ― They sat in church, praying
- to beg, to plead with someone for help or for a favor
- Hjälp mig! Jag ber dig! ― Help me! I beg of you!
Conjugation edit
Active | Passive | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Infinitive | be | bes | ||
Supine | bett | betts | ||
Imperative | be | — | ||
Imper. plural1 | ben | — | ||
Present | Past | Present | Past | |
Indicative | ber | bad | bes | bads |
Ind. plural1 | be | bådo | bes | bådos |
Subjunctive2 | be | både | bes | bådes |
Participles | ||||
Present participle | bedjande, beende | |||
Past participle | bedd | |||
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs. |
Active | Passive | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Infinitive | bedja | bedjas | ||
Supine | bett | betts | ||
Imperative | bed | — | ||
Imper. plural1 | beden | — | ||
Present | Past | Present | Past | |
Indicative | beder | bad | beds, bedes, bedjes | bads |
Ind. plural1 | bedja | bådo | bedjas | bådos |
Subjunctive2 | bede | både | bedes | bådes |
Participles | ||||
Present participle | bedjande | |||
Past participle | bedd | |||
1 Archaic. 2 Dated. See the appendix on Swedish verbs. |
Synonyms edit
Related terms edit
Further reading edit
- be in Svensk ordbok.
Tagalog edit
Etymology edit
From Spanish be, the Spanish name of the letter B/b. Ultimately from Latin bē. Doublet of bi.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜒ)
- (historical) the name of the Latin-script letter B, in the Abecedario.
Further reading edit
- “be”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018
Tarao edit
Alternative forms edit
Noun edit
be
References edit
- Chungkham Yashwanta Singh (2002) Tarao Grammar
Turkish edit
Etymology 1 edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
See also edit
- (Latin-script letter names) harf; a, be, ce, çe, de, e, fe, ge, yumuşak ge, he, ı, i, je, ke, le, me, ne, o, ö, pe, re, se, şe, te, u, ü, ve, ye, ze
Etymology 2 edit
Noun edit
be
- Letter of the Arabic alphabet: ب
Etymology 3 edit
From Ottoman Turkish به (be).
Interjection edit
be
- (very informal) hey there, hey! you! (implying disapproval of the addressee’s actions)
- strengthening of the preceding sentence
- Bu yük çok ağır be! ― My, this load is very heavy
References edit
- Kélékian, Diran (1911), “به”, in Dictionnaire turc-français, Constantinople: Mihran, page 297
Tzotzil edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be
References edit
- Laughlin, Robert M. (1975) The Great Tzotzil Dictionary of San Lorenzo Zinacantán. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
- Laughlin, Robert M. [et al.] (1988) The Great Tzotzil Dictionary of Santo Domingo Zinacantán, vol. I. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press.
Vietnamese edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun edit
be
Etymology 2 edit
Adjective edit
be
- beige
- chiếc áo mưa màu be — a beige raincoat
Etymology 3 edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Verb edit
be
- To build a mud embankment with one's hands.
- To prop up the lip of a sack while topping off the sack, to ensure a more generous quantity.
- lấy tay be miệng đấu khi đong đỗ — to surround the top of a measure with one's hands while measuring beans
- Đong bình thường, không được be đâu đấy. — Measure it out normally; don't prop up the lip of the sack.
Etymology 4 edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Verb edit
be
- To hug a boundary or riverbank.
- Thuyền be theo bờ sông.
- The boat hugged the riverbank.
Etymology 5 edit
Interjection edit
- (onomatopoeia) bleat; baa
Related terms edit
References edit
"be" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)
West Makian edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
be
References edit
- Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours[4], Pacific linguistics
Yola edit
Etymology 1 edit
Verb edit
be
- Alternative form of ba (“to be”)
- 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 53:
- Leth it be.
- Let it be.
- 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 84:
- Well, gosp, c'hull be zeid; mot thee fartoo, an fade;
- Well, gossip, it shall be told; you ask what ails me, and for what;
- 1867, “VERSES IN ANSWER TO THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 100:
- At ye mye ne'er be wooveless ta vill a lear jock an cooan.
- That you may never be unprovided to fill an empty jack and can.
- 1867, “ABOUT AN OLD SOW GOING TO BE KILLED”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 2, page 106:
- Na speen to be multh, nar flaase to be shaure.
- no teat to be milked, nor fleece to be shorn.
- 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 14-15:
- till ee zin o'oure daies be var aye be ee-go t'glade.
- until the sun of our lives be gone down the dark valley (of death).
- Alternative form of ba (“is”)
- 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 23-24:
- proo'th, y'at wee alane needeth ye giftes o'generale rights, az be displayte bie ee factes o'thie goveremente.
- proves that we alone stood in need of the enjoyment of common privileges, as is demonstrated by the results of your government.
- 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 1-2:
- Ye state na dicke daie o'ye londe, na whilke be nar fash nar moile, albiet 'constitutional agitation,'
- The condition, this day, of the country, in which is neither tumult nor disorder, but that constitutional agitation,
- Alternative form of ba (“are”)
- 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 14, page 90:
- Shoo ya aam zim to doone, as w' be doone nowe;
- She gave them some to do, as we are doing now;
- 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 94:
- Ye be welcome, hearthilee welcome, mee joees,
- You are welcome, heartily welcome, my joys,
- 1867, “THE WEDDEEN O BALLYMORE”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 1, page 94:
- Ye be welcome, hearthillee, ivery oan.
- You are heartily welcome, every one.
- 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 114, lines 11-12:
- unnere fose fatherlie zwae oure daiez be ee-spant,
- under whose paternal rule our days are spent;
- 1867, CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 116, lines 9-10:
- Wi Irishmen owre generale hopes be ee-bond——
- With Irishmen our common hopes are inseparably bound up——
- Alternative form of ba (“been”)
- 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 3, page 84:
- Yith Muzleare had ba hole, t'was mee Tommeen,
- If Good-for-little had been buried, it had been my Tommy,
Etymology 2 edit
Preposition edit
be
- Alternative form of bee (“by”)
- 1867, “A YOLA ZONG”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, number 13, page 90:
- Ha-ho! be mee coshes, th'ast ee-pait it, co Joane;
- Hey-ho! by my conscience, you have paid it, quoth John;
- 1867, “CASTEALE CUDDE'S LAMENTATION”, in SONGS, ETC. IN THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY, page 102:
- FOR LOSS O' HIS CUCK AT WAS EE-TOOK BE A VOX.
- FOR LOSS OF HIS COCK THAT WAS TAKEN BY A FOX.
References edit
- Jacob Poole (1867), William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith
Zia edit
Noun edit
be
Zou edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bè
References edit
- Lukram Himmat Singh (2013) A Descriptive Grammar of Zou, Canchipur: Manipur University, page 40
Zulu edit
Etymology edit
From -ba (“to be”).
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
-be
- (auxiliary) forms continuous tenses [+participial]
- Ngesonto elilandelayo ngizobe ngisebenza kakhulu.
- Next week I will be working a lot.
Usage notes edit
In past tenses, this auxiliary is usually contracted.
Ngibe ngihamba → Bengihamba "I was walking." (recent past)
Ngabe ngihamba → Ngangihamba "I was walking." (remote past)
Inflection edit
This entry needs an inflection-table template.
References edit
C. M. Doke; B. W. Vilakazi (1972), “-ɓe”, in Zulu-English Dictionary, →ISBN: “-ɓe”