Bosworth Toller's

Anglo-Saxon

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be-

  • prefix
Dictionary links
Grammar
be-, , bi-, big-, and bí- are often used as prefixes.
Wright's OE grammar
§559; §570; §647;
when prefixed to verbs, be- and bi- either give an intensive signification to a transitive verb, or change an intransitive into a transitive verb, as,-Sprengan to sprinkle, be-sprengan to be-sprinkle; lecgan ponere, be-lecgan im-ponere; settan to set, put, be-settan to be-set, surround; fón to seize, be-fón to surround; gangan to go, be-gangan to exercise; reótan plorare, be-reótan
de-plorare.
they have a privative sense, as,-Be-niman to deprive, be-reáfian to bereave, be-heáfdian
to behead.
sometimes they do not indicate any perceptible variation in the sense, as,-Be-cuman to come, be-sencan
to sink.
be-, bi-, big- have the same effect when prefixed to
substantives, adjectives, and adverbs.
the accented bí- and big-, as prefixes, generally have the original sense of the preposition by, as,-Bí-cwide, big-cwide a by-saying, proverb; bí-spell, big-spell a by-story, parable; bí-wǽrlan to pass-by; big-standan to stand-by. vide I. 2.
Linked entries
v.  rówan sárgian sceáwere sceáwian seolfrian seón sirwan áscian byrdan cépan cídan clæman clypping -cnáwe smítan sorgian sparrian stǽlan stelan streáwian strúdan súpan swǽlan swice -swicenness swingan be-cwyddod tǽcan tǽlan týning tyrnan þearfan þeccan þerscan be-stýman -neah neótan neoþan notian rǽsan regnian reótan hlídan norþan récan reócan sǽgan sǽtian dífan dípan eástan efesian -sidian sígan -silfran smeágan trymman wépan útan wǽfan wǽpnian warenian warian weddian lócian hyldan leósan ufan witan wlátian wlítan wrixlan bítan bláwan fæstnian feón.
Entry information
Citation

Bosworth, Joseph. “be-.” In An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary Online, edited by Thomas Northcote Toller, Christ Sean, and Ondřej Tichy. Prague: Faculty of Arts, Charles University, 2014. https://bosworthtoller.com/3028.

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  • be-, prefix

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