Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bihōf

This Proto-West Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-West Germanic

Etymology

From *bi- +‎ *hōf, from Proto-Germanic *hōfą (“necessity”).

Noun

*bihōf n

1. necessity, need

Inflection

Neuter a-stem
	Singular
Nominative	*bihōf
Genitive	*bihōfas
	Singular	Plural
Nominative	*bihōf	*bihōfu
Accusative	*bihōf	*bihōfu
Genitive	*bihōfas	*bihōfō
Dative	*bihōfē	*bihōfum
Instrumental	*bihōfu	*bihōfum

Derived terms

• *bihōfōn

Related terms

• *habbjan

Descendants

• Old English: behōf
  • Middle English: bihove, behove
    • English: behoof
    • Scots: behufe, behuif
• Old Frisian: bihōf
  • Saterland Frisian: Bihouf
  • West Frisian: behoef
• Old Saxon: *bihōf
  • Middle Low German: behôf
    • German Low German: Behöf
      • ⇒ German Low German: behövig
    • → Danish: behov
    • → Swedish: behov
• Old Dutch: *bihuof
  • Middle Dutch: behoef
    • Dutch: behoef
• Old High German: *bihuof
  • Middle High German: behuof
    • German: Behuf