behabban

Old English

Etymology

Equivalent to be- +‎ habban.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beˈxɑb.bɑn/, [beˈhɑb.bɑn]

Verb

behabban

1. (transitive) to surround or embrace something
   • 1921, Joseph Bosworth, Thomas Northcote Toller, Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online:

     Ðīne fȳnd behabbaþ ðē.

     Your enemies surround you.

2. (transitive) to hold or contain somebody or something
   • 1921, Joseph Bosworth, Thomas Northcote Toller, Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online:

     Māran endebyrdnysse þonne ðis godspel behæfð.

     More circumstances than this gospel contains.

3. (intransitive) to understand something (+ dative or + on)
4. (transitive) to withhold or hold something back
   • 1921, Joseph Bosworth, Thomas Northcote Toller, Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online:

     Behæfð God his mildheortnesse.

     God withholds his mercy.

5. (transitive) to restrain or detain somebody
   • 1921, Joseph Bosworth, Thomas Northcote Toller, Bosworth-Toller Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online:

     Hī behæfdon hine.

     They detained him.

Conjugation

Conjugation of behabban (weak class 3)

infinitive	behabban	behæbbenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	behæbbe	behæfde
second person singular	behæfst	behæfdest
third person singular	behæfþ	behæfde
plural	behabbaþ	behæfdon
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	behæbbe	behæfde
plural	behæbben	behæfden
imperative
singular	behafa
plural	behabbaþ
participle	present	past
	behæbbende	behæfd

Derived terms

• behæfednes f (“detention, care”)

References

• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “'be-habban'”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[1], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Joseph Bosworth and T. Northcote Toller (1898) “'be-habban'”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary‎^[2], 2nd edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.