be-
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English
editEtymology
editFrom Middle English be-, bi-, from Old English be- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- (“be-”), from Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, by”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at, near”). See by.
Cognate with Saterland Frisian bi- (“be-”), West Frisian be- (“be-”), Dutch be- (“be-”), German Low German be- (“be-”), German be- (“be-”), Danish be- (“be-”), Swedish be- (“be-”). More at by.
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- (rare or no longer productive) By, near, next to, around, close to.
- (rare or no longer productive) Around; about.
- (rare or no longer productive) About, regarding, concerning, over.
- (rare or no longer productive) On, upon, at, to, in contact with something.
- (rare or no longer productive) Off, away, over, across
- (rare or no longer productive) As an intensifier; i.e. thoroughly, excessively; completely; utterly.
- (rare or no longer productive) All around; about; abundantly; all over.
- (rare or no longer productive) Forming verbs derived from nouns or adjectives, usually with the sense of "to make, become, or cause to be".
- (archaic or informal) Used to intensify adjectives meaning "adorned with something", often those with the suffix -ed.
- 2010 October 17, Hadley Freeman, “Tattoos: what makes one spiritual and another Katona-esque?”, in The Guardian[1]:
- Similarly, one could argue that if these be-tattooed yogic folk were really so spiritual, they wouldn't feel the need to inform everyone else of this or remind themselves of it, via the medium of the tattoo.
Derived terms
editReferences
edit- the NED and OED
Anagrams
editAfrikaans
editEtymology
editFrom Dutch be-, from Middle Dutch be-, from Old Dutch bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-.
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- Used to indicate that a verb is acting on a direct object (making an intransitive verb into a transitive verb). Always unstressed.
- Used to change the direct object of a transitive verb, so that what was previously expressed as an optional prepositional object becomes the direct object and vice versa. Always unstressed.
- pyle op die diere skiet → die diere met pyle beskiet
- to shoot arrows at the animals
Usage notes
editNot separable. When forming past participles, generally not prepended with ge-.
Danish
editEtymology
editFrom Middle Low German be-, from Old Saxon bi-.
Prefix
editbe-
- Forms adjectives from nouns, with the sense "having noun".
- Forms verbs from adjectives, with the sense "making" (adjective); -ify.
- Prepends to verbs, having no effect save making the verb transitive
Usage notes
editVerbs formed with be- are transitive. Many such words are formed after Middle Low German words.
Derived terms
editReferences
edit- “be-” in Den Danske Ordbog
Dutch
editEtymology
editFrom Middle Dutch be-, bi-, from Old Dutch bi-, be-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, by”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (“at, near”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian be- (“be-”), West Frisian be- (“be-”), English be-, German Low German be- (“be-”), German be- (“be-”), Swedish be- (“be-”).
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- Used to indicate that a verb is acting on a direct object (making an intransitive verb into a transitive verb). Always unstressed.
- Used to change the direct object of a transitive verb, so that what was previously expressed as an optional prepositional object becomes the direct object and vice versa. Always unstressed.
- huizen op een land bouwen → een land met huizen bebouwen
- to build houses on a land
Derived terms
editGerman
editEtymology
editFrom Middle High German be-, from Old High German bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-, from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi.
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- inseparable verbal prefix that signifies working on something or change of state
- inseparable verbal prefix that signifies touching the object
- inseparable verbal prefix that signifies discussing or mentioning the object
Usage notes
edit- Verbs with this prefix very often take an object in the accusative case.
- The prefix can be used to convert an intransitive verb into a transitive verb, examples:
- gehen + be- → begehen
- arbeiten + be- → bearbeiten
- schnüffeln + be- → beschnüffeln
Derived terms
edit- beachten
- beanstanden
- beantragen
- bearbeiten
- bedauern
- bedenken
- bedeuten
- bedienen
- beehren
- beeilen
- beenden
- beengen
- beerben
- beerdigen
- befehlen
- befehlen
- befeuern
- befördern
- befürchten
- begehen
- begehren
- begleiten
- beglücken
- begünstigen
- behalten
- behandeln
- behaupten
- beirren
- bekannt
- beknien
- bekochen
- bekommen
- beköstigen
- bekümmern
- belassen
- belasten
- belauschen
- belehnen
- belehren
- belobigen
- belohnen
- belügen
- belustigen
- bemächtigen
- bemannen
- benachrichtigen
- benachteiligen
- beobachten
- berauben
- bereichern
- bereuen
- besamen
- beschäftigen
- beschatten
- bescheißen
- beschießen
- beschlafen
- beschleunigen
- beschließen
- beschneiden
- beschönigen
- beschreiten
- beschweren
- beschwichtigen
- beschwören
- besehen
- besetzen
- besitzen
- bespielen
- bestehen
- bestehlen
- bestellen
- besteuern
- bestrafen
- bestrahlen
- bestreuen
- bestücken
- bestücken
- besuchen
- besudeln
- betanken
- betasten
- betätigen
- betatschen
- betonen
- betören
- betrachten
- betrauern
- betreiben
- betreten
- betrinken
- betrügen
- betüddeln
- betuppen
- beweisen
- bewerkstelligen
- bewilligen
- bezahlen
- bezaubern
- bezeichnen
- bezichtigen
- beziehen
- bezwingen
Hungarian
editPronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
Derived terms
editRelated terms
editSee also
editReferences
editIndonesian
editPrefix
editbe-
- Alternative form of ber-
Limburgish
editEtymology
editFrom Middle Dutch be-, bi-, from Old Dutch bi-, be-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-.
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- Inseparable verbal prefix that signifies working on something or change of state.
- Inseparable verbal prefix that signifies touching the object.
- Inseparable verbal prefix that signifies discussing or mentioning the object.
Usage notes
edit- The verb with this prefix takes very often a direct object (i.e., an object in the accusative case).
Related terms
editLithuanian
editEtymology
editPrefix form of bè (“without”).
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
Luxembourgish
editEtymology
editFrom Middle High German and Old High German bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-, from *bi.
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- Inseparable verbal prefix that signifies working on something or change of state.
- Inseparable verbal prefix that signifies touching the object.
- Inseparable verbal prefix that signifies discussing or mentioning the object.
Usage notes
edit- Verbs with this prefix very often take objects in the accusative case.
Derived terms
editMiddle Dutch
editEtymology
editFrom Old Dutch bi-, be-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-.
Prefix
editbe-
- A verb prefix with a variety of meanings.
Derived terms
editDescendants
editMiddle English
editPrefix
editbe-
- Alternative form of bi-
Middle Low German
editEtymology
editFrom Old Saxon bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-. Cognate to bî (“by”).
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- Makes an intransitive verb transitive or denotes that the action is targeted at something or accompanying something.
- vallen (to fall) → bevallen (befall, afflict)
- singen (to sing) → besingen (to sing about something; to sing for the merit of something)
- bischop besingen – to ordain someone as bishop while chanting
- Denotes on top, onto, often used to create figurative meanings.
- Denotes next to, very close.
- bûwen (to build) → bebûwen (to build too close to something else; to besiege)
Alternative forms
editNavajo
editPrefix
editbe-
- his, her (indicates secondary or alienable possession, in opposition to bi-. See for example akʼah, beʼakʼah)
See also
editOld English
editEtymology
editAn unstressed form of bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi-.
Pronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- a productive prefix usually used to form verbs and adjectives, especially:
- verbs with the sense "around, throughout";
- transitive verbs from intransitive verbs, adjectives and nouns
Usage notes
edit- This prefix is always unstressed, in both nouns and verbs.
- The stressed nominal counterpart is bī-.
Derived terms
editDescendants
editOld Saxon
editPrefix
editbe-
- Alternative form of bi-
Swedish
editPronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- same as German be-, often found in German loanwords, primarily verbs and words based on verbs
Usage notes
editIn many cases the be- prefix doesn't change the meaning at all, it only makes word look more German. In the name of conciseness and readability, Swedish linguists in the late 19th century (Adolf Noreen, later also Erik Wellander) successfully promoted the idea that this prefix should be dropped from such words, for example befrämja turned into främja.
Derived terms
editTooro
editPrefix
editbe-
Uzbek
editEtymology
editInherited from Chagatai بی, from Classical Persian بیـ (bē-).
Prefix
editbe-
Derived terms
editVolapük
editPrefix
editbe-
- Used to make an indirect object a direct object.
- Strengthens the meaning of the radical.
- Implies causing or conferring the meaning of the radical.
Derived terms
editWutunhua
editEtymology
editPronunciation
editPrefix
editbe-
- not; negates the existence of an action or state conveyed by a verb or adjective, in practice chiefly used as negation in the present or future.
Derived terms
edit- bai (“to not be”)
See also
editReferences
edit- Juha Janhunen, Marja Peltomaa, Erika Sandman, Xiawu Dongzhou (2008) Wutun (LINCOM's Descriptive Grammar Series), volume 466, LINCOM Europa, →ISBN
- Erika Sandman (2016) A Grammar of Wutun[2], University of Helsinki (PhD), →ISBN
Zulu
editEtymology
edit(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Prefix
editbe-
- Class 2 simple noun prefix, used with nouns whose full prefix is abe-.
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- English terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English 1-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English lemmas
- English prefixes
- English terms with rare senses
- English terms with archaic senses
- English informal terms
- English terms with quotations
- English intensifiers
- Afrikaans terms inherited from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms derived from Dutch
- Afrikaans terms inherited from Middle Dutch
- Afrikaans terms derived from Middle Dutch
- Afrikaans terms inherited from Old Dutch
- Afrikaans terms derived from Old Dutch
- Afrikaans terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Afrikaans terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Afrikaans terms with IPA pronunciation
- Afrikaans lemmas
- Afrikaans prefixes
- Afrikaans terms with usage examples
- Danish terms derived from Proto-West Germanic
- Danish terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Danish terms derived from Middle Low German
- Danish terms derived from Old Saxon
- Danish lemmas
- Danish prefixes
- Dutch terms inherited from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Middle Dutch
- Dutch terms inherited from Old Dutch
- Dutch terms derived from Old Dutch
- Dutch terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Dutch terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Dutch terms inherited from Proto-Indo-European
- Dutch terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- Dutch terms with IPA pronunciation
- Dutch terms with audio pronunciation
- Dutch lemmas
- Dutch prefixes
- Dutch terms with usage examples
- German terms inherited from Middle High German
- German terms derived from Middle High German
- German terms inherited from Old High German
- German terms derived from Old High German
- German terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- German terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- German terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- German terms with IPA pronunciation
- German terms with audio pronunciation
- German lemmas
- German prefixes
- Hungarian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Hungarian lemmas
- Hungarian prefixes
- Indonesian non-lemma forms
- Indonesian prefix forms
- Limburgish terms inherited from Middle Dutch
- Limburgish terms derived from Middle Dutch
- Limburgish terms inherited from Old Dutch
- Limburgish terms derived from Old Dutch
- Limburgish terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Limburgish terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Limburgish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Limburgish lemmas
- Limburgish prefixes
- Lithuanian terms with IPA pronunciation
- Lithuanian lemmas
- Lithuanian prefixes
- Luxembourgish terms inherited from Middle High German
- Luxembourgish terms derived from Middle High German
- Luxembourgish terms inherited from Old High German
- Luxembourgish terms derived from Old High German
- Luxembourgish terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Luxembourgish terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Luxembourgish 1-syllable words
- Luxembourgish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Luxembourgish lemmas
- Luxembourgish prefixes
- Middle Dutch terms inherited from Old Dutch
- Middle Dutch terms derived from Old Dutch
- Middle Dutch terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Middle Dutch terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Middle Dutch lemmas
- Middle Dutch prefixes
- Middle English lemmas
- Middle English prefixes
- Middle Low German terms inherited from Old Saxon
- Middle Low German terms derived from Old Saxon
- Middle Low German terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Middle Low German terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Middle Low German terms with IPA pronunciation
- Middle Low German lemmas
- Middle Low German prefixes
- Navajo lemmas
- Navajo prefixes
- Navajo pronouns
- Old English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic
- Old English terms derived from Proto-Germanic
- Old English terms with IPA pronunciation
- Old English lemmas
- Old English prefixes
- Old Saxon lemmas
- Old Saxon prefixes
- Swedish terms with IPA pronunciation
- Swedish lemmas
- Swedish prefixes
- Tooro lemmas
- Tooro prefixes
- Tooro subject concords
- Uzbek terms inherited from Chagatai
- Uzbek terms derived from Chagatai
- Uzbek terms derived from Classical Persian
- Uzbek lemmas
- Uzbek prefixes
- Volapük lemmas
- Volapük prefixes
- Wutunhua terms derived from Mandarin
- Wutunhua terms with IPA pronunciation
- Wutunhua lemmas
- Wutunhua prefixes
- Zulu lemmas
- Zulu prefixes
- Zulu simple noun prefixes