† beˈleave, -eve, v. Obs.
Forms: 1 belǽfan, 2 bilæfen, -læuen, -leauen, 2–4 bi-, beleue(n, (4 bi-, bylaue), 4–5 beleve, bleve, blewy(n, (5 byleve), 6 beleaue. pa. tense 1–2 be-, bilǽfde, -leafde, 2–3 -lefde, 3 -leaued(e, -lefte, 3–4 -leued(e, -left(e, -lafte, blefede, 4 blefte, 4–7 beleft(e. pa. pple. 1 belǽfed, 2–4 bi-, beleued, 3 (-lefued), -leved, -left, 4 bleft, 4–5 byleft, -lefft, -laft.
[OE. belǽfan:—OTeut. and Goth. bilaibjan, f. bi-, be- + laibjan, in OE. lǽfan to leave, a casual deriv. of OTeut. *lîban to remain, which appeared in Eng. in belive. Thus originally and properly transitive; but very early substituted for the intrans. belīve. In 14th c. often syncopated to bleve(n, esp. in Kentish; cf. mod.G. bleiben, Du. blijven.]
I. transitive.
1. To let or cause to remain behind, to go away without taking with one, to abandon.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 79 Ho hine bilefde liggen half quic. c 1200 Ormin 8913 He wass þa behinndenn hemm Bilefedd att te temmple. c 1205 Lay. 18648 Þe eorl..bilefde his wif in Tintaieol. 1297 R. Glouc. 421 Hys fader..ladde hym..into Normandye, & byleuede hym þere. c 1330 Assump. Virg. 759 Thei leide þe bodi in a stone, And bileft alle in þat stede. ? a 1400 Morte Arth. 2380 The cors of Kayone..at Came es belevefede. 1513 Douglas æneis x. xi. 166 Men..Quham..to myschewus deyd beleft haue I. 1627 May Lucan viii. (T.) Wondering at fortune's turns, and scarce is he Beleft, relating his own misery. |
b. To leave (something) behind to; to leave at death; to leave in the possession or power of.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 183 Hie bileueð uncuðe men þe aihte. 1387 Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. VI. 367 Þe kyngdom [they] byleft to Colwulfus. c 1410 Love Bonavent. Mirr. vi. (Gibbs MS.) Lord to þe is bylafte [1530 belefte] þe pore peple. 1557 K. Arthur (Copland) vii. i, The two men..belefte him to Syr Kay. |
2. To allow to remain over; to leave out of count or process: to pass over, let go, omit.
| c 1205 Lay. 29363 ælcne bilefued mon he lette bilimien. 1297 R. Glouc. 173 He ne beleuede noȝt on. c 1450 Merlin xvii. 276 And v C men that were hym be-lefte of the bataile. |
3. To go away from (a person or place); to depart from, forsake, quit, abandon.
| c 1205 Lay. 8569 Lundene we mote bilæuen. a 1225 Ancr. R. 110 And fluen alle vrom him & bilefden him ase vreomede. c 1400 Destr. Troy xxxv. 13456 A buyldyng..was of long tyme beleft, & no lede there. |
b. fig. To turn from, forsake.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 81 He scal his sunne uor-saken and bileuen. a 1225 Ancr. R. 394 Heo wule..bileauen þene deouel. a 1300 Cursor M. 9053, I haf bi-left mi lauerd lau. c 1400 Ywaine & Gaw. 35 Trowth and luf es al bylaft. |
c. To leave off, cease give up, abandon (action).
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 93 Bileafden heo heore timbrunge. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 3344 Het hem þe assaut be-leue. c 1400 Solomon's Bk. Wisd. 82 Ne bileue þou nouȝth to trauaile. |
4. To let go (from one's hold).
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 232 Hwon two bereð one burðene, & te oðer bileaueð hit. |
II. intr. [taking place of belive: = Ger. bleiben.]
5. To remain over, survive, be left in existence.
| a 1000 Psalms (Spelm.) cv[i]. 10 An of him ne belæfde [Vulg. non remansit]. 1297 R. Glouc. 372 Þer ne byleuede noȝt..þat nas to grounde ybroȝt. c 1350 MS. in Archæol. XXX. 352 Of y⊇ ewyll xal no thynge blewyn. c 1435 Torr. Portugal 359 Had byn the gyant belevand, They had not partyd soo. |
b. To remain behind in a place.
| c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3114 La! god it wot, sal ðe[r]-of bi-leuen non fot. 1340 Ayenb. 190 Yrobbed..zuo þet him naȝt ne blefte. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 1595 Þe hedes on þe tre by-lafte. a 1400 Octouian 1540 The Soudan..Bleft yn Fraunce, Cytes to brenne. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. lxi. 45, I beleft allone in my chambre. |
c. To remain in a condition or state, to continue.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 87 Þe children weren clensed of sinnen and þus bilefden. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 671 Babel, ðat tur, bilef unmad. a 1300 Cursor M. 7662 Þer mani man fell vnder scheild, Bot with dauid be-left þe feild. 1340 Ayenb. 12 Þe mayde Marie blefte eure mayde. c 1430 Syr Gener. 5737 Here speres beleft hole booth. |
6. To remain for the time being (in a place); to stay, abide, continue, dwell with (a person).
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 149 Ȝe moten..him, foleȝe and mid him bileue. c 1205 Lay. 19777 Ne dursten heo þer bilæfen. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 800 Abram..and sarray bileften bi-twen betel and ay. 1340 Ayenb. 245 Mid Him uor to bleve. c 1425 Seven Sag. (P.) 48 Gyf he schal byleve with me. |
7. to be beleft was often used in the sense of ‘To remain, to be’; also ‘to be become of.’
| c 1340 Cursor M. 7736 (Trin.) His coupe his spere where mai hit be..Where be þei now bileued. Ibid. 18558 He wrouȝte bi wicche-craft And wiþ þe deuel was bilaft. c 1440 Bone Flor. 733 He ys beleft wyth Syr Garcy Ageyn you. |