Etymology, English, Be-

Etymology

From 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”), would be the locative case of *h₁eps (from *h₁ep-), which could mean “back”, with the “on” sense referring to pack animals or riding.

Cognate with Saterland Frisian be- (“be-”), West Frisian be- (“be-”), Dutch be- (“be-”), German Low German be- (“be-”), German be- (“be-”), Swedish be- (“be-”). More at by.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɪ/, /bi/, /bə/

Prefix

be-

1. (rare or no longer productive) By, near, next to, around, close to.

   beleaguer, bestand, beset, besit

2. (rare or no longer productive) Around; about.

   begather, belay, belook, bestir, belive, besmell, bewrap

3. (rare or no longer productive) About, regarding, concerning, over.

   bewrite, betalk, betell, bemoan, bemourn, bewail, beknow, besing, bespeak

4. (rare or no longer productive) On, upon, at, to, in contact with something.

   beclothe, becall, besee, behold, befall, bedo, beshine, besmile, betone

5. (rare or no longer productive) Off, away, over, across

   becut, bedeal, betake, bego, behead, belimb, benim, bereave, besleeve, betrunk

6. (rare or no longer productive) As an intensifier; i.e. thoroughly, excessively; completely; utterly.

   bebreak, begladden, belabour, behate, bedazzle

7. (rare or no longer productive) All around; about; abundantly; all over.

   belave, belick, bescatter, bekiss

8. (rare or no longer productive) Forming verbs derived from nouns or adjectives, usually with the sense of “to make, become, or cause to be”.

   becalm, bedark, befree, befriend, bedim, beken, benight, benothing, bewet, besmooth, bestrange

9. (archaic or informal) Used to intensify adjectives meaning “adorned with something”, often those with the suffix -ed.

   besequined, befeathered, beclawed, bewebbed, betasseled, beloved