bifian
Old English
Alternative forms
- biofian, beofian
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *bibjaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyh₂-, *bʰoyh₂- (“to be frightened”).
Germanic cognates: Old Frisian bivia, Old Saxon bivōn, Middle Dutch bēven (Dutch beven), Old High German bibēn (German beben), Old Norse bifa (Swedish bäva)
Indo-European cognates: Slavic *bojati (Russian бояться (bojatʹsja), Polish bać się), Lithuanian baidas.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbifiɑn/, [ˈbiviɑn]
Verb
bifian
- to tremble, shake
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Likewise of Saint Peter"
- Hēo fēoll bifiġende tō þæs Hǣlendes fōtum.
- She fell trembling at Jesus' feet.
- Hēo fēoll bifiġende tō þæs Hǣlendes fōtum.
- c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Matthew 27:51
- Þæs temples wāgrift wearþ tōsliten on twēġen dǣlas, fram ufeweardum oþ niðeweard, and sēo eorðe bifode, and stānas tōburston.
- The curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom, and the earth shook, and rocks split open.
- Þæs temples wāgrift wearþ tōsliten on twēġen dǣlas, fram ufeweardum oþ niðeweard, and sēo eorðe bifode, and stānas tōburston.
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Likewise of Saint Peter"
Conjugation
Conjugation of bifian (weak class 2)
infinitive | bifian | tō bifienne |
---|---|---|
indicative | present | past |
1st-person singular | bifie bifiġe |
bifode |
2nd-person singular | bifast | bifodest |
3rd-person singular | bifaþ | bifode |
plural | bifiaþ bifiġaþ |
bifodon |
subjunctive | present | past |
singular | bifie bifiġe |
bifode |
plural | bifien bifiġen |
bifoden |
imperative | ||
singular | bifa | |
plural | bifiaþ bifiġaþ | |
participle | present | past |
bifiende bifiġende |
(ġe)bifod |
Derived terms
- beofung
- bifiġendlīċ
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.