bever

See also: Bever

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English biveren, beveren (“to tremble”), frequentative form of Old English beofian, bifian (“to tremble, be moved, shake, quake”), from Proto-West Germanic *bibēn, from Proto-Germanic *bibāną (“to quake, shiver”).

Cognate with West Frisian bibberje (“to shiver”), Dutch bibberen (“to shiver, quiver”), Low German beveren (“to shiver”), German Low German bevern (“to tremble”), German bibbern (“to shiver”). Related also to Dutch beven (“to quake”), German beben (“to quake, tremble”), Swedish bäva (“to quake, tremble”), Icelandic bifa (“to budge, be moved”), Latin foedus (“disgusting, shocking, abominable, heinous”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛvə(ɹ)/, (dialectally) /ˈbɪvə(ɹ)/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ(ː)vəɹ/
• (Scotland) Rhymes: -ɛvəɹ

Verb

bever (third-person singular simple present bevers, present participle bevering, simple past and past participle bevered)

1. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) (obsolete, intransitive) To tremble, shake, quiver, shiver.

Derived terms

• bevering

References

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• pronounced the same as bevor (i.e. IPA^(key): /ˈbiːvə(ɹ)/)

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

1. Alternative spelling of bevor
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene:

     And, passing forward with furious affret, / Pierst through his bever and quite into his brow.

   • 1635, L. I. [pseudonym; John Lechmere], “The Third Argument was about the Killing Letter; out of Origen, […]”, in The Relection of a Conference Tovching the Reall Presence. Or A Bachelovrs Censvre of a Masters Apologie for Doctour Featlie, Douai: Lavrence Kellam, →OCLC, page 333:

     He who lookes you in the face, ſaith he ſees you, though the reſt of your bodie be within your cloathes, and if you, being an ὁωλομάχος a cataphract in your proteſtantiſh πανοπλία [panoplía, suit of armour] should for fear pull downe your beuer before you come into the liſt, your Aduerſarie for all that might light vpon your (  ) vnleſſe you bring with you Giges his ring, ſo to make your ſelf inuiſible; [...]

   • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 8:

     Some close helmets have a farther improvement called a bever, the bever when closed covers the mouth and chin, and either lifts up by revolving on the same pivots as the visor, or lets down by means of two or more pivots on each side near the jaws, in which case the bever consists of several laminæ or plates, one shutting over the other.

Etymology 3

From Middle English bever, from Anglo-Norman bever (modern French boire), from Latin bibō.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbiːvə/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: bēʹvər, IPA^(key): /ˈbivɚ/
• Rhymes: -iːvə(ɹ)
• Homophones: beaver, Belvoir, bevor

Noun

bever (countable and uncountable, plural bevers)

1. (obsolete) A drink.
   • 1625, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Elder Brother. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     Bid my subsiser carry my hackney to the buttery, and give him his bever; it is a civil and sober beast, and will drink moderately.

2. (now rare, archaic) A snack or light refreshment between meals.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 2, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

     It seemeth that wee daily shorten the use of this, and that in our houses (as I have seene in mine infancie) breakfasts, nunchions, and beavers [translating collations] should be more frequent and often used than now adayes they are.

   • 1604, Christopher Marlowe, Dr. Faustus:

     Thirty meals a day and ten bevers.

   • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers:

     Very softly I boiled water, made a sandwich from the remains of the luncheon roast chicken, scalded the Twining creature. Then I softly carried my bever to the study on a tray […].

3. (obsolete) A time for drinking.
4. (obsolete) A mixture of cider and water.

Related terms

• beverage

Verb

bever (third-person singular simple present bevers, present participle bevering, simple past and past participle bevered)

1. (obsolete) To take a light repast between meals.

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• pronounced the same as beaver (“semiaquatic rodent”) (i.e. IPA^(key): /ˈbiːvə(ɹ)/)

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

1. Obsolete spelling of beaver (“semiaquatic rodent”).

Anagrams

• breve

Cornish

Etymology

Borrowed from English beaver.

Noun

bever m (plural bevers)

1. beaver

   Synonym: lostledan

Mutation

Mutation of bever

unmutated	soft	aspirate	hard	mixed	mixed after 'th
bever	vever	unchanged	pever	fever	vever

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Cornish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Dutch

Castor fiber

Etymology

From Middle Dutch bēver, from Old Dutch *bevar, from Proto-West Germanic *bebru, from Proto-Germanic *bebruz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰébʰrus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeː.vər/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: be‧ver
• Rhymes: -eːvər

Noun

bever m (plural bevers, diminutive bevertje n)

1. a beaver, rodent of the genus Castor
2. (particularly) the European beaver, Castor fiber

Derived terms

• beverachtig
• beverbont
• beverboom
• beverburcht
• beverdam
• bevergeil
• beverhaar
• beverhoed
• beverhuid
• beverkever
• beverkolonie
• bevermuts
• beverpels
• beverrat
• beverskul
• beverstaart
• bevervacht
• bevervraat
• Canadese bever

Descendants

• Afrikaans: bewer

Anagrams

• breve

Hungarian

Etymology

be- +‎ ver

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbɛvɛr]
• Hyphenation: be‧ver
• Rhymes: -ɛr

Verb

bever

1. (transitive, of one's head) to knock (into something -ba/-be)

   A kisfiú véletlenül beverte a fejét az asztalba. ― The little boy accidentally knocked his head into the table.

2. (transitive, of nails) to drive in (-ba/-be)

   Beverte a szögeket a falba. ― S/he drove the nails into the wall.

Conjugation

Conjugation of bever

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	beverek	beversz	bever	beverünk	bevertek	bevernek
			def.	beverem	bevered	beveri	beverjük	beveritek	beverik
			2nd obj	beverlek
		past	indef.	bevertem	bevertél	bevert	bevertünk	bevertetek	bevertek
			def.	bevertem	beverted	beverte	bevertük	bevertétek	beverték
			2nd obj	bevertelek
		future		Future is expressed with a present-tense verb with a completion-marking prefix and/or a time adverb, or—more explicitly—with the infinitive plus the conjugated auxiliary verb fog, e.g. be fog verni.
archaic preterite		indef.	beverék	beverél	bevere	beverénk	beverétek	beverének
		def.	beverém	beveréd	beveré	beverénk	beverétek	beverék
		2nd obj	beverélek
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. bever vala, bevert vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	beverendek	beverendesz	beverend	beverendünk	beverendetek	beverendenek
	def.	beverendem	beverended	beverendi	beverendjük	beverenditek	beverendik
	2nd obj	beverendelek
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	bevernék	bevernél	beverne	bevernénk	bevernétek	bevernének
		def.	beverném	bevernéd	beverné	bevernénk (or bevernők)	bevernétek	bevernék
		2nd obj	bevernélek
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. bevert volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	beverjek	beverj or beverjél	beverjen	beverjünk	beverjetek	beverjenek
			def.	beverjem	beverd or beverjed	beverje	beverjük	beverjétek	beverjék
			2nd obj	beverjelek
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. bevert légyen
infinitive	beverni		bevernem	beverned	bevernie	bevernünk	bevernetek	beverniük
other forms	verbal noun		present part.	past part.	future part.	adverbial participle		causative
	beverés		beverő	bevert	beverendő	beverve (bevervén)		beveret
The archaic passive conjugation had the same -(t)at/-(t)et suffix as the causative, followed by -ik in the 3rd-person singular (and the concomitant changes in conditional and subjunctive mostly in the 1st- and 3rd-person singular like with other traditional -ik verbs).
The prefix can split from the verb stem, e.g. nem ver be or be is ver.

Potential conjugation of bever

Click for archaic forms			1st person sg	2nd person sg informal	3rd person sg, 2nd p. sg formal	1st person pl	2nd person pl informal	3rd person pl, 2nd p. pl formal
indica­tive	indica­tive	pre­sent	indef.	beverhetek	beverhetsz	beverhet	beverhetünk	beverhettek	beverhetnek
			def.	beverhetem	beverheted	beverheti	beverhetjük	beverhetitek	beverhetik
			2nd obj	beverhetlek
		past	indef.	beverhettem	beverhettél	beverhetett	beverhettünk	beverhettetek	beverhettek
			def.	beverhettem	beverhetted	beverhette	beverhettük	beverhettétek	beverhették
			2nd obj	beverhettelek
archaic preterite		indef.	beverheték	beverhetél	beverhete	beverheténk	beverhetétek	beverhetének
		def.	beverhetém	beverhetéd	beverheté	beverheténk	beverhetétek	beverheték
		2nd obj	beverhetélek
archaic past		Two additional past tenses: the present and the (current) past forms followed by vala (volt), e.g. beverhet vala, beverhetett vala/volt.
archaic future	indef.	beverhetendek or beverandhatok	beverhetendesz or beverandhatsz	beverhetend or beverandhat	beverhetendünk or beverandhatunk	beverhetendetek or beverandhattok	beverhetendenek or beverandhatnak
	def.	beverhetendem or beverandhatom	beverhetended or beverandhatod	beverhetendi or beverandhatja	beverhetendjük or beverandhatjuk	beverhetenditek or beverandhatjátok	beverhetendik or beverandhatják
	2nd obj	beverhetendelek or beverandhatlak
condi­tional	pre­sent	indef.	beverhetnék	beverhetnél	beverhetne	beverhetnénk	beverhetnétek	beverhetnének
		def.	beverhetném	beverhetnéd	beverhetné	beverhetnénk (or beverhetnők)	beverhetnétek	beverhetnék
		2nd obj	beverhetnélek
	past		Indicative past forms followed by volna, e.g. beverhetett volna
sub­junc­tive	sub­junc­tive	pre­sent	indef.	beverhessek	beverhess or beverhessél	beverhessen	beverhessünk	beverhessetek	beverhessenek
			def.	beverhessem	beverhesd or beverhessed	beverhesse	beverhessük	beverhessétek	beverhessék
			2nd obj	beverhesselek
(archaic) past		Indicative past forms followed by légyen, e.g. beverhetett légyen
infinitive	(beverhetni)		(beverhetnem)	(beverhetned)	(beverhetnie)	(beverhetnünk)	(beverhetnetek)	(beverhetniük)
other forms	positive adjective			negative adjective		adverbial participle
	beverhető			beverhetetlen		(beverhetve / beverhetvén)
The prefix can split from the verb stem, e.g. nem verhet be or be is verhet.

Derived terms

• beverés

Further reading

• bever in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• bever in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Ladino

Etymology

From Latin bibō, bibere.

Verb

bever

1. to drink

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *bevar

Noun

bēver m

1. beaver

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: bever
  • Afrikaans: bewer
• Limburgish: baever

Further reading

• “bever”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “bever”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English befer, from Proto-West Germanic *bebru, from Proto-Germanic *bebruz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰébʰrus.

Alternative forms

• beauver, beever, befer, beofer, beuver, bevere, bevre, bevyr, bevyre, bewer, byvre

Pronunciation

• (Early Middle English) IPA^(key): /ˈbøːvər/
• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛːvər/

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

2. A beaver (rodent of the genus Castor).
3. Beaver fur, skin, or pelt, or a similar cloth.

Descendants

• English: beaver
• Scots: bever, baiver
• → Irish: béabhar

References

• “bēver, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-23.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman bever (modern French boire), from Latin bibō.

Alternative forms

• bevere

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛːvər/

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

2. (rare, Late Middle English) beverage

Related terms

• beverage

Descendants

• English: bever

References

• “bēver, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-23.

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From Middle Low German bever (compare with Dutch bever, German Biber and English beaver). The word replaced Old Norse bjórr (compare with Norwegian Nynorsk bjor).

Noun

bever m (definite singular beveren, indefinite plural bevere or bevre or bevrer, definite plural beverne or bevrene)

1. a beaver (aquatic mammal)

   En bever kan veie opptil 40 kg.

   A beaver can weigh up to 40 kg.

2. a beaver's fur

   Kåpen er av bever.

   The coat is made of beaver fur.

3. a 6- to 8-year-old member of the Scouts

References

• “bever” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “bever” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• Article in Store norske leksikon ("great Norwegian encyclopedia") on beavers.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Middle Low German bever (compare Dutch bever, German German Biber and English beaver). The word replaced Old Norse bjórr (compare Norwegian Nynorsk bjor).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeːʋɛr/

Noun

bever m (definite singular beveren, indefinite plural beverar, definite plural beverane)

1. beaver (aquatic mammal), a roden of the genus Castor, specifically the European beaver, Castor fiber

   Ein bever kan vege opptil 40 kg.

   A beaver can weigh up to 40 kg.

2. a beaver's fur

   Kåpa er av bever.

   The coat is made of beaver fur.

3. a 6- to 8-year-old member of the Scouts

Synonyms

• bjor

References

• “bever” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “bever” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• Article in Store norske leksikon ("great Norwegian encyclopedia") on beavers.

Occitan

Verb

bever

1. Alternative form of beure

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Old French

Etymology 1

see beivre

Verb

bever

1. Alternative form of beivre

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has irregularities in its conjugation. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

    Conjugation of bever (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)

		simple			compound
infinitive		bever			aveir beü
gerund		en bevant			gerund of aveir + past participle
present participle		bevant
past participle		beü
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	il	nos	vos	il
simple tenses	present	bef	bes	bet	bevons	bevez	bevent
	imperfect	beveie	beveies	beveit	beviiens, beviens	beviiez, beviez	beveient
	preterite	bevi	bevis	bevi	bevimes	bevistes	bevirent
	future	bevrai	bevras	bevra	bevrons	bevreiz, bevrez	bevront
	conditional	bevreie	bevreies	bevreit	bevriiens, bevriens	bevriiez, bevriez	bevreient
compound tenses	present perfect	present tense of aveir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect tense of aveir + past participle
	past anterior	preterite tense of aveir + past participle
	future perfect	future tense of aveir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional tense of aveir + past participle
subjunctive		que jo	que tu	qu’il	que nos	que vos	qu’il
simple tenses	present	beve	beves	beve	bevons	bevez	bevent
	imperfect	bevisse	bevisses	bevist	bevissons, bevissiens	bevisseiz, bevissez, bevissiez	bevissent
compound tenses	past	present subjunctive of aveir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of aveir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nos	vos	–
		—	bef	—	bevons	bevez	—

Etymology 2

Of Germanic origin, from Frankish *bebru. More at English beaver.

Noun

bever oblique singular, m (oblique plural bevers, nominative singular bevers, nominative plural bever)

1. beaver (mammal)

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin bibere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /be.ˈβeɾ/

Verb

bever

1. to drink

Conjugation

    Conjugation of bever

infinitive				bever
gerund		simple		bevendo
		compound		gerund of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
past participle				singular		plural
		masculine		bevudo, bevido		bevudos, bevidos
		feminine		bevuda, bevida		bevudas, bevidas
present participle				bevente		beventes
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	bevo	beves	beve	bevemos	bevedes	beven
	imperfect	bevia	bevias	bevia	beviamos, bevíamos	beviades, bevíades	bevian
	preterite	bevi, bevin	beveste, beviste, bevesche, bevische, beveche, beviche	beveu, beveo, bevio, beviu	bevemos	bevestes	beveron
	pluperfect	bevera	beveras	bevera	beveramos, bevêramos	beverades, bevêrades	beveran
	future	beverei	beverás	beverá	beveremos	beveredes	beverán
	conditional	beveria	beverias	beveria	beveriamos, beveríamos	beveriades, beveríades	beverian
compound tenses	present perfect	present of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	past anterior	preterite of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect anterior	simple pluperfect of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	future perfect	future of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
subjunctive mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	beva	bevas	beva	bevamos	bevades	bevan
	imperfect	bevesse	bevesses	bevesse	bevessemos, bevêssemos	bevessedes, bevêssedes	bevessen
	future	bever	beveres	bever	bevermos	beverdes	beveren
compound tenses	present perfect	present subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	future perfect	future subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
imperative mood		—	tu	vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	—
affirmative		—	beve, bive	beva	bevamos	bevede	—
negative		—	bevas	beva	bevamos	bevades	—
personal infinitive		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
		bever	beveres	bever	bevermos	beverdes	beveren
1 teer and “ter were also used, although all three were less common than haver.

Descendants

• Galician: beber
• Portuguese: beber, buber (dialectal)
  • Kabuverdianu: bebe
    • Papiamentu: bebe, bebi
  • Papiamentu: bebe, bebi
  • → Saramaccan: bebé

Old Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin bibere.

Verb

bever (first-person singular present bevo, first-person singular preterite beví, past participle bevido)

1. to drink
   • c. 1275, Alfonso X, General Estoria, primera parte, (published by Pedro Sánchez Prieto-Borja, 2002, Alcalá de Henares: Universidad de Alcalá de Henares):

     E respusol ella: - Beve, mio señor, cuanto quisieres. […] Pues que vós avedes bevido daré agora a vuestros camellos fasta que todos bevan cuanto quisieren

     And she replied to him, "Drink, milord, as much as you want." […] And so, since you have taken drink, I shall now give some to your camels, until all drink however much they want.

Descendants

• Spanish: beber

Romansch

Alternative forms

• baiver (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader)
• beiber (Sursilvan)
• beber (Sutsilvan)

Etymology

From Latin bibō, bibere.

Verb

bever

1. (Sutsilvan, Surmiran) to drink