bileven

Middle English

Alternative forms

• beleven, believen, bileoven, bilyfen (early)

Etymology

From Old English belīefan, from Proto-West Germanic *bilaubijan, equivalent to bi- +‎ leven.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biˈleːvən/

Verb

bileven

1. to believe

Conjugation

Conjugation of bileven (weak in -ed)

infinitive	(to) bileven, bileve
	present tense	past tense
1st-person singular	bileve	bileved
2nd-person singular	bilevest	bilevedest
3rd-person singular	bileveth	bileved
subjunctive singular	bileve
imperative singular		—
plural1	bileven, bileve	bileveden, bilevede
imperative plural	bileveth, bileve	—
participles	bilevynge, bilevende	bileved, ybileved

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English: believe
• Scots: beleve

References

• “bilẹ̄ven, v.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.