▪ I. be, v.
(biː)
[An irregular and defective verb, the full conjugation of which in modern Eng. is effected by a union of the surviving inflexions of three originally distinct and independent verbs, viz. (1) the original Aryan substantive verb with stem es-, Skr. as-, 's-, Gr. ἐσ-, L. es-, 's-, OTeut. *es-, 's-; (2) the verb with stem wes-, Skr. vas- to remain, OTeut. wes-, Gothic wis-an to remain, stay, continue to be, OS., OE., OHG. wesan, OFris. wes-a, ON. ver-a; (3) the stem beu- Skr. bhū-, bhaw-, Gr. ϕυ-, L. fu-, OTeut. *beu-, beo-, OE. béo-n to become, come to be. Of the stem es-, OE. (like the oldest extant Teutonic) possessed only the present tenses, indicative and subjunctive (orig. optative), all the other parts being supplied from the stem wes-, pa. tense was, which, though still a distinct and complete vb. in Gothic, was in OE. only supplemental to es-, the two constituting the substantive verb am-was. Béon, be, was still in OE. a distinct verb (having all the present, but no past tenses) meaning to ‘become, come to be’, and thus often serving as a future tense to am-was. By the beginning of the 13th c., the infinitive and participle, imperative, and pres. subjunctive of am-was, became successively obsolete, the corresponding parts of be taking their place, so that the whole verb am-was-be is now commonly called from its infinitive, ‘the verb to be,’ although be is no part of the substantive verb originally, but only a later accretion replacing original parts now lost.
In OE. the present indicative of am had two forms of the plural, (1) sind, sindon (= Goth. and Ger. sind, L. sunt, Skr. sánti) and earon, aron (= ON. eru), the latter confined to the Anglian dialects, where it was used side by side with sind, -un. Of these, sind, -on ceased to be used before 1250, its place being taken in southern Eng. by the corresponding inflexions of be. We, ye, they beth, ben, be, were the standard forms in southern and midl. Eng. for centuries; and even in the sing., be, beest, beth began to encroach on am, art, is, and are now the regular forms in southern dialect speech. Meanwhile aron, aren, arn, are, survived in the north, and gradually spread south, till early in 16th c. are made its appearance in standard Eng., where it was regularly used by Tindale. Be continued in concurrent use till the end of the century (see Shakespeare, and Bible of 1611), and still occurs as a poetic archaism, as well as in certain traditional expressions and familiar quotations of 16th c. origin, as ‘the powers that be.’ But the regular modern Eng. plural is are, which now tends to oust be even from the subjunctive. Southern and eastern dialect speech retains be both in singular and plural, as ‘I be a going,’ ‘we be ready.’]
In treating this important word, the history of the inflexions is first exhibited, and then that of the signification.
A. Inflexions.
I. Inflexions from stem es-: partly replaced in ME. by be.
1. pres. ind.
* from es-, 's-. a. 1 sing. am (æm, əm, (ə)m, m). [= ON. em, Gothic im, Skr. ásmi, Gr. *ἔσµι, εἰµί, L. sum: the only Eng. vb. form which retains the old personal suffix -m (for -mi).] Forms: 1–3 eom, 1 Merc. eam, North. am, amm, 2–4 em, eam, æm, 2– am (Orm. amm, 3–4 ham, 4 ame, emme), contr. 6– 'm (I'm) in verse and familiar prose. In 4–5 icham (south and west) was treated as one word, whence later dial. cham in 16th c. and recent s.w. dial. negative 1–5 neom, næm, nam. (northern es, is: see 3rd sing.)
| c 885 K. ælfred Boeth. xiii. 40 Ic eom ofwundrod. a 950 Durh. Ritual 10 a, Ic am drihten god ðin. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxviii. 20 Ic iuh mið am. c 975 Rushw. G. ibid., Ic mid eow eam. c 1000 Ags. G. Matt. xi. 28 Ic eom bilwite. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Ich eom bylewhit. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 25 Ic em hal. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 256 Ic am þi mon. 1205 Lay. 461 Ich am duc. Ibid. 25,943 Ich æm mon [1250 Ich ham a mon]. Ibid. 14,136 Næm ich næuere bute care. a 1300 Cursor M. 5756 Lord here I ame. c 1300 Beket 475 So moche wrecche nam y noȝt. 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 337 Ich emme þat þe bere. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 105 ‘Icham sori’ quod Envye, ‘I ne am [v.r. nam] but seldene oþer.’ 1382 Wyclif Ex. iii. 14 Y am that am. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. Prol. 314 Sir it am I. 1647 Cowley Mistr. lxxvi, No: I'm undone. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola i, I'm a stranger in Florence. |
| dial. 1547 Boorde Introd. Knowl. 122 Iche cham a Cornyshe man. 1633 B. Jonson T. Tub i. i, 'Cham no man's wife. 1746 Exmoor Scolding (1879) 26 Cham a-troubled. |
b. 2 sing. art (ɑːt, ət, (ə)t). [= ON. est, after 12th c. ert, Goth. is, Skr. ási, Gr. ἔσσι (ἐσσί, εἶς, εἶ), L. es; in Eng., as in later ON., s of the stem has become r: the final t is a pleonastic addition of the 2nd pers. pron., not found in Goth., nor outside Teut.] Forms: 1–2 eart, 1 Merc. earð, North. arð, 2–3 ært, (eært, æart, hart, ard), Orm. arrt, 2–5 ert, 2– art, capable of contraction, 6– thou'rt. Negative 1–5 neart, nert, nart. Art-thou appears 1–2 eartu, earðu, arðu, 2–5 ertu, artu, artow; in poet. and dial. use, the pron. is now sometimes omitted, as in ‘What art doing?’ (northern es, is: see 3rd sing.)
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. vi. 9 Fæder user ðu arð vel bist in heofnum. c 975 Rushw. G. ibid., Fæder ure þu þe in heofunum earð. a 1000 Ags. G. ibid., Fæder ure þu þe eart an heofenum. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Fader ure þu þe ert on heofne. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 223 Þu æart dust. Ibid. 201 Hwi ertu me so freomede. a 1250 Owl & Night. 561 Thu art lutel. c 1280 Relig. Songs. v. 178 Nu thu ard al skere. a 1300 Cursor M. (Cott.) 14105 In mikel bisenes ert þou, Bise ert þou [Gött. bisi es þu] bot mani dede. c 1340 Ibid. (Fairf.) 12136 Vnneþes artow of vij ȝere. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 424 Askes er-tow now. 1382 Wyclif 2 Sam. xii. 7 Thou ert thilk man [1388 Thou art thilke man]. ― Matt. vi. 9 Oure fadir that art in heuenes. 1602 Dekker Satirom. 234 Art not famous enough yet, but thou must eate men alive? |
c. 3 sing. is (ɪz, (ə)z, (ə)s). [= ON. es, after 1200 er, Goth., OHG., OS., OFris. ist, Skr. ásti, Gr. ἔστι, L. est: in Eng. as in ON. and Du. the personal suffix -t is lost.] Forms: 1– is; 1–6 ys; Orm. iss; North. 3–5 es (ess, esse, iss, isse). negative 1–5 nis, nys. Is still rimed with miss, bliss, this, etc. in 16th c.; it retains the s sound in is't? and when contracted, after breath mutes as that's (ðæts), but = z elsewhere, as he's, all's, this is (hiːz, ɔːlz, ˈðɪsɪz).
| c 885 K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §13 Hit is eall weste. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxviii. 6 Nys he her. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Nis he her. c 1280 Sarmun 38 in E.E.P. (1862) 5 Manis lif nis bot a schade, nov he is and nov he nis. a 1300 Cursor M. (Gött.) 5779 Til ȝou me sendis he þat ess [Cott. es, Fairf. ys]. c 1340 Ibid. (Trin.) 13158 Seint Ion þat in prisoun isse. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 32 Swa he es, and ay..sal be. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1267 Ther is [v.r. nys] no newe gyse, that is nas old. c 1400 Mandeville iii. 19 There nys no Purgatorie. c 1450 Myrc 10 Alle ys for defawte of lore. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour B vij, Is it right or wrong. c 1530 Redforde Play Wyt & Sc. (1848) 3 Ah! syr, what tyme yst? 1635 Quarles Embl. ii. xiv. When not himself, he's mad; when most himself, he's worse. 1733 Pope Ess. Man i. 286 One truth is clear, Whatever Is is Right. 1848 Kingsley Saints' Trag. ii. vii. 100 What's thy name? |
¶ In the northern dialect, ME. and mod., es, is, ys, is used for all persons of the sing., and also for the plur., when not immediately joined to the nom. pron., e.g. when the subject is a noun or relative; the latter usage is exceedingly frequent in the Shakespeare folio of 1623 (though much altered by editors ignorant of its history).
| a 1300 Cursor M. (Cott.) 5262 Þat þou liuand es! [Fairf. On liue þou ys]. Ibid. 9727 ‘Fader,’ he said, ‘þi sun i es.’ Ibid. 14105 In mekil besines es þu. c 1386 Chaucer Reeve's T. 125 (Northern Clerk), I is as ille a millere as are ye [Lansd., I es as il a Melnere as es ye]. Ibid. 169 Il hayl! by god, Aleyn, thou is a fonne. 1485 Malory Arthur (1817) II. 391 Here is I. 1570–87 Holinshed Scot. Chron, II. 50 Giltless persons is condemned. 1574 tr. Littleton's Tenures 107 b, Hys heires is in by dyscent. 1578 in Scot. Poems 16th C. (1801) II. 133 Our fais that bisie is. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. ii. 20 Ill deeds is doubled with an evil word. 1593 ― 2 Hen. VI, iii. ii. 11 Is all things well? Ibid. 303 There's two of you. [Mod. Sc. and north. Eng. All my hopes is lost. Is your friends coming?] |
d. 1–3 pl.
† (α) Obs. form from weak stem 's: [OE. sind, sindon. = OS. sind, sindon, OFris. send, OHG. 3 pl. sint, sindun, Goth. 3 pl. sind, Skr. 3 pl. sánti, L. sunt. The -on, -un, occurring in WGer. is a second pl. suffix subsequently added.] Forms: 1 sind, sint, synd, synt, siondon, si(e)ndun, sindon, syndon, 2 synde(n, synd, synt, 2–3 sende(n, 3 sunde(n, sonde(n, seondeþ, (seoð), Orm. sinndenn. Replaced in south by be; in north and at length everywhere by are.
(β) are (ɑː(r), ə(r), (r)). [= ON. 1 erum, 2 eruð, 3 eru, (:—*erund), Sw. 1 äro, 2 ären, 3 äro, Da. ere; a re-forming of the pl. on the strong stem-form es-, analogous to Gr. *ἐσ-µές, ἐσ-τέ, ἔ-ᾱσι (from *ἔσ-αντι), L. es-tis, compared with the original type in Skr. s-más, s-thá, s-ánti, L. s-umus, s-unt, and Gothic sijum, sijuð, sind, OE. sind (in α).] Forms: 1 Merc. earun, Northumb. aron, aro-, 2–5 north. and n. midl. aren, 2–6 arn, 3 Orm. arrn, (4–5 arunne), 4–6 arne, 4– are (4–6 ar); 3–4 north. ern, 4–5 ere, er. (Without pronoun 4– es, is: see 3rd sing. above.)
| α c 885 K. ælfred Oros. i. i. §12 Be norðan him sindon [later MS. syndon] Ealdseaxan. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. x. 2 Ðis synt [Lindisf. sint, Rushw. sindun] þæra Apostola naman. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Ðis sende þare apostle namen. c 1200 Moral Ode 290 in Trin. Coll. Hom. 229 Hwu fele senden in helle. c 1200 Ormin 6293 Þa þat sinndenn gode. 1205 Lay. 24763 We sunden twælf cnihtes. Ibid 27319 Godd heo seondeð laðe. |
| β a 950 Durh. Ritual 28 Allo ᵹie bearno lehtes aro ᵹie. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. v. 14 Ȝie aron (vel sint) leht middanᵹeardes. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 73 Swiche ben þe deueles bernes, þe aren cleped ortrowe. c 1200 Ormin 6849 Þa þatt arrn i þine walde. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 16 So faȝen so fueles arn. a 1300 Cursor M. (Cott.) 4847 Elleuen breþer es we [v.r. we er, we ar, are we] liuand. Ibid. 4878 Yee Ne ern lickli lel men to be. a 1300 E.E. Psalter xcii. 6 Þine werkes ere þai. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. (1871) III. 169 Bodily werkis arunne more knowen. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 2379 Þay aren in grete drede. c 1384 Chaucer H. Fame 1008 Al these arne set in heuene [Caxt. ar, Thynne are]. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. xix. (1495) 778 Camelles ben tothlesse aboue as oxen are. 1465 Marg. Paston in Lett. 500 II. 179 They eryn as he left hem..The place where they ern kept. 1528 More Heresyes ii. Wks. 202/1 Sarasyns, whiche..arne of another flocke. 1534 Tindale John x. 30 I and my father are one [Wyclif ben oon]. 1611 Bible Gen. xlii. 31 We are true men: we are no spies. We be twelue brethren [Coverd. we are; Genev., we be]. 1787 Burns Brigs of Ayr, I'll be a Brig, when ye're a shapeless cairn. |
¶ Negative forms colloquial and vulgar, found in dramatists and novels since 17th c. are ar'n't, a'n't = are not, am not, e'n't, ain't = am not, is not, are not.
| 1710 Palmer Proverbs 124 The politest atheist can't be sure that their e'nt a God. 1794 Southey Wat Tyler iii. ii, You ar'n't to die So easily. 1799 B. Thompson Kotzebue's Stranger in E. Inchbald Theat. I. 17 Sharp lad, a'n't I? 1837 Dickens Pickw. xiii, I an't quite certain. Ibid. xxviii, There ain't anything the matter. |
** from verb be. e. 1 sing. † be (biː, bɪ). Obs. exc. dial. [= OS. bium, OFris. bem, OHG. pim, cogn. w. Skr. bhavāmi, Gr. *ϕῦµι, ϕύω, L. fui.] Forms: 1 b{iacu}om, béom, 1–3 béo, beon, 3– be, (4–5 by, 4–7 bee). Like am, this had the personal suffix -m, which was however dropped already in later OE. (a) as distinct vb. or future: I become, come to be, shall be.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter cxlvi. 2 Ic singu gode minum swe longe swe ic biom [Lat. ero]. c 1000 Ags. Ps. cxix. 117 Gefultuma me fæste, ðonne béo ic hál. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 17 Bispreng me mid edmodnesse louerd þanne be ich clene. 1205 Lay. 28218 Ne beo [1250 worþe] ich nauere bliðe. |
(b) as pres.: rare and doubtful in ME., but now the regular form in southern and some midland dialects. The negative I ben't, beant, baint is even more widely used dialectally.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxviii. 20 Ic beo mid eow ealle daᵹas [Lindisf. am, Rushw. eam]. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Ich beo. 1205 Lay. 3945 Þa while ich beon on liue. Ibid. 11501 Þe while þe ich beo [1250 ham] on liue. 1864 E. Capern Devon Provinc. s.v. Be, I be going. 1864 Tennyson North. Farmer 3, I beänt a fool. |
f. 2 sing. † beest, be'st (biːst, bɪst). Obs. exc. dial. [= OS. bist, OHG. pis, pist.] Forms: (1 bis), 1–3 bist, 3 beost, 3–4 ˈbest, 4 beste, 4– beest (5 north. bes), 9 beest, bist. (a) as distinct vb., or future.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke xxiii. 43 To-dæᵹ þu bist mid me on paradiso. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., To-daiᵹ þu byst. 1205 Lay. 9843 Wið þine sune þu beost iuæid. c 1340 Cursor M. (Trin.) 2038 Þou beste of his blessyng quyt. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. v. 598 Bileue so · or þow beest nouȝte ysaued. |
(b) as pres. = art. Rare in ME., but now widely spread in south. and midl. dialects.
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. vi. 9 Fæder user ðu arð vel bist in heofnum. 1205 Lay. 3053 Al swa muchel þu bist [v.r. hart] worþ. 1848 Kingsley Saint's Trag. ii. vii. 100 Wood cutter:—Be'est a keeper, man? 1862 Barnes Rhymes Dorset Dial. I. 61 Whatever bist about. |
g. 3 sing. beeth, bes (biːθ, biːz). Obs. exc. dial. Forms: 1–3 bið, 1 byð, 2 bæð, 2–3 beoð, 3 (bideð), buþ, 3–5 beð, beþ, bueð, 4 byeþ, 4–6 beth(e. North. 4 betz, beis, 4–5 bes(e, 6 Sc. beis. South. dial. 9 be. (a) as distinct vb., or future.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter ciii. 3 Se milde bið allum un-rehtwisnissum ðinum. 1205 Lay. 5763 Anan swa hit beoð auen. c 1340 Cursor M. (Fairf.) 3762 My hert bese [Trin. beþ] neuer broȝt in rest, bi-twix and þis Iacob be slayne. a 1400 Chron. Eng. 270 in Ritson M.R. II. 281 Non ne byth ther nevermore. 1535 Stewart Cron. Scot. I. 565 Traist weill..the feild this da beis ouris. |
(b) as pres.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 25 He bið wið-uten feire. c 1200 Moral Ode 39 in E.E.P. (1862) 24 So muchel bet [v.r. bið] his mihte. a 1300 Cursor M. 1175 It beis not sua [v.r. bes, beþ]. 1340 Ayenb. 54 Þe holyist man byeþ..becaȝt. c 1386 Chaucer Knt.'s T. 1163 Nought beth forgeten the infortune of Mart [Six-texts was]. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 13 It bese the wars for thi sake. 1516–21 Buckhm. in Ellis Orig. Lett. iii. I. 217 It bethe matter that I am lothe..to troble you withall. c 1570 Bp. St. Andrews in Scot. Poems 16th C. II. 305 When Plutois palice beis provydit for them. Mod. East-Anglian Here he be. |
h. 1–3 pl. be (biː, bɪ). [In the other OTeut. langs. only repr. by OHG. pirumes, pirut (MHG. birnt, bint).] Forms: α(type beoth, beth): 1–3 béoð (1 Northumb. b{iacu}að, bið-on, bioð-on, Merc. bioþ, bið-on, beoþ-an), 1–4 béo, 2 bæð, byð, 2–3 bieð, buoð, buð(ü), 3–4 bueð, buþ, beoth, 2–5 beð, beþ, 4 byeþ, beeþ, 4–5 beth, 5– beeth, (6–7 dial. beth).
β. Midl. (type beon, ben, been, be): 2–4 beon, 2 bienn, bin, 2–3 bien, 2–6 ben, 3–4 buen, 4–5 by, 4–6 bene, 4–7 been(e, 5 (byn(ne), 5–7 bin (still dial.), 6–7 bee, 4– be. Negative, dial. ben't, beant.
γ. North. 3 bes, 5 bese.
(a) as future.
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter xcii. 14 Bioð ᵹemoniᵹfaldade in ældu. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 239 A domes deiȝ alle godes fend..abroden bienn. 1205 Lay. 3057 Sone heo bið [hi beoð] ilaȝeð. |
(b) as pres.
| c 1175 Cott. Hom. 219 Her beoð niȝen anglen hapes. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 89 La hu ne beað þa..galileisce? c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 39 Þo bin þe gode word of holi boc. 1205 Lay. 4455 Whær beo ȝe mine cnihtes? c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 107 Watres ben her ðer-under. 1297 R. Glouc. 368 Hey men, þat in Engelond beþ, Beþ ycome of þe Normans. a 1300 K. Alis. 4965 Men hy ben. Ibid. 6494 Faire wymmen heo buth. c 1300 Beket 174 To fewe ther beoth. 1307 Elegy Edw. I, ix, Our baners that bueth broht to grounde. 1340 Ayenb. 1 Þise byeþ þe capiteles. c 1370 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 33 Þei been enemys. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1029 We..Be now disclaundered. 1387 Trevisa Higden Rolls Ser. I. 321 Þere by gracious tymes. c 1420 Sir Amadace xlviii, For-sothe thai bynne away. c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. (1714) 7 Thes two Princes beth of egall Astate. Ibid. 10 Which Lawys ben right good. 1485 Caxton Paris & V. 16 Knyghtes and barons that been here. a 1500 Rob. Hood (Ritson) i. i. 213 My goodes beth sette and solde. 1534 Tindale Rom. xiii. 1 The powers that be, are ordeyned of God. 1535 Coverdale Zech. i. 19 What be these? 1548 ― Erasm. Par. Rom. II. 40 And what thinges bene they? 1557 K. Arthur (Copland) Cont., The chapytres that ben conteyned in this present volume. 1582 Bentley Mon. Matrones ii. 65 They be never offended at anie thing. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. 2 Surely they are, as all other countries and nations be. 1594 Shakes. Rich. III, iv. iv. 93 Where is thy Husband now? Where be thy Brothers? 1611 Bible 2 Kings vi. 16 They that be with vs are moe than they that be with them. 1669 Milton Accedence Wks. (1847) 461/1 Ego, tu, sui be of the first Declension. a 1687 Petty Pol. Arith. v. (1691) 87 There be Three distinct Legislative Powers. |
¶ Examples of dial. and arch. retention of been, bin. beth for be, and of be for are.
| 1576 Gascoigne Philomene 63 (Arb.) 88 Such as true and stedfast louers bene. a 1581 Campion Hist. Irel. ii. vii. (1633) 97 The Irish beene false by kinde. 1584 Peele Arraigum. Paris Prol. 6 Th' unpartial daughters of Necessity Bin aids in her suit. 1586 J. Ferne Blaz. Gentrie 71 You zay zomewhat well vor vs that we beene the most necessary men. 1608 Shakes. Per. ii. Prol. 28 To seas, Where when men been, there's seldom ease. 1640 Brome Antip. ii. ix. 271 We be none of your father, so we beant. 1651 Jer. Taylor Holy Dying iv. §9 (1727) 178 Widows beth slothful, and children beth unkind. 1820 Byron Mar. Fal. v. i. 169 And who be they? 1842 Barnes Rhymes Dorset Dial. I. 136 The carpets they do use, Ben't fit to tread..An' chairs an' couches be so neat, You mussen teäke em vor a seat. 1861 Thackeray Four Georges ii. 114 Where be your painted houris? 1865 Swinburne Queen Busahe 367 If thou be keen To note things amiss that been. 1879 Escott England I. 242 No alarming sound for the powers that be. |
i. Been, bin was erroneously used by 16th c. Sc. writers, in supposed imitation of Chaucer, and by Byron (in supposed imitation of Shakespeare) as sing.
| 1513 Douglas æneis i. Pref. 213, I will nocht say all Virgill bene als trew. 1552 Lyndesay Monarche 5768 Gret dule, that day, to Iugis bene. 1556 Lauder Tractate (1864) 65 Nothing..Different..Than bene the purest Creature That euir wes formit of nature. 1823 Byron Juan xiii. xxvi, Also there bin another pious reason For making squares and streets anonymous. |
2. pres. subj.
* from stem es- (in weak form 's-). a. sing. † OE. sie, s{iacu}. [= OFris. sê, OS., OHG. sî, sîs, sî, ON. sê, sêr, sê, Goth. sijau, sijais, sijai, Skr. syām, syās, syāt, OL. siēm, siēs, siēt, cl. L. sīm, sīs, sīt. In OE. all 3 persons were levelled under one form, though in ancient times the 1 pers. was distinct siém, sión.] Forms: 1 (1 pers. siem, sion) s{iacu}e, sié, sió, sé, siᵹ, 1–2 s{iacu}, s{yacu}, sye, syo, seo.
| c 732 Bæda Death-song, Naeniᵹ uuiurthit thonc-snotturra than him tharf sie. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxiv. 3 Hwilc tacn s{iacu} þines tocymys. Ibid. v. 13 Buton þæt hit sy {uacu}taworpen, and sy [v.r. s{iacu}, siᵹ] fram mannum fortreden. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Buton þæt hyt sye ut-aworpen, and syo fram mannen fortredon. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 91 Si lof Dauiðes bern, blesced bie he. 1205 Lay. 14893 Alre king si [1250 beo] he ærmest. Ibid. 24759 Hail seo [1250 beo] þu Arður king! |
b. pl. † OE. sien, s{iacu}e, s{iacu}n. [= OS. sîn, OFris. sê, OHG. sîmês, sît, sîn, ON. sêm, sêt, sê, Goth. sijaima, sijaiþ, sijaina, Skr. syāma, syāta, sy{uacu}s, OL. siēmus, siētis, siēnt, cl. L. sīmus, sītis, sīnt.] Forms: 1 sien, s{iacu}n, s{yacu}n, s{iacu}e, sie, sé, sæ, 2 syen, 3 seon (seoð).
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. vi. 1 Þæt ᵹie se ᵹeseno. c 975 Rushw. G. ibid., Þæt ᵹe sie ᵹeseanæ. c 1000 Ags. G. ibid., Þæt ᵹe s{iacu}n ᵹeherede. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Þæt ȝe syen ȝeherede. 1205 Lay. 13837 Wh[ah]æt cnihtes ȝe seon [1250 beo]. |
¶ A present subj. from stem wes-, singular wese, plural wesen, also existed in OE., in poetic use.
| c 1000 Ags. Ps. cv. 37 Wese swa, wese swa, þurh eall wide ferhð. Ibid. lxvii. 5 Þa þe wydewum syn wraðe..oþþe steop-cildum wesen strange fæderas. |
** from verb be. c. sing. be. Forms: 1 b{iacu}o, 1–3 béo, 2 bo, bie, 4–5 bi, by, 4– be, (4–7 bee).
| a 1000 Metr. Boeth. x. 65 Hwæt iow æfre þy bet b{iacu}o oððe þince. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 91 Blesced bie he þe cumeð a godes name. Ibid. 107 Be swo it beo. a 1250 Owl & Night. 566 Thu gredest suich thu bo wod. 1340 Ayenb. 219 By hit to þe bodie, by hit to þe zaule. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. vi. 207 Be þow went, They wil worche ful ille. 1382 Wyclif Gen. xxvii. 21 Whethir thow be [v.r. art] my sone Esau, or noon [1611 Whether thou bee my very sonne Esau, or not]. c 1385 Chaucer L.G.W. 1848 ‘Be as be may,’ quod she. 1582 Bentley Mon. Matrones ii. 7 If thou be my father. 1611 Bible Jer. xvii. 5 Cursed be the man that trusteth in man. 1716 Addison Drummer v. i, Look you if he ben't with my lady. 1830 Tennyson Dream Fair Women 251, I am that Rosamond, whom men call fair, If what I was I be. Mod. Be he who he may, he has no right here. |
(b) In the 2nd sing., after if, though, etc., beest, properly an indicative form, was common in 16th and 17th c., and is regularly used by Shakespeare.
| c 1600 Rob. Hood (Ritson) ii. ii. 38 Although thou beest in haste. 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. i. v. 59 Bee'st thou sad, or merrie, The violence of either thee becomes. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 84 If thou beest he; But O how fall'n! 1678 Cudworth Intell. Syst. 462 Whether thou beest a certain Divine Force and Soul. |
(c) In the 3rd sing., beis was formerly used in Sc.
| 1513 Douglas æneis xii. iv. 70 Bot gif so beis, Mars..The victory..grantis ws. 1609 Skene Reg. Maj. 79 Gif it beis within borgh. 1641 Kirkcudbr. War-Comm. Min. Bk. (1855) 62 Gif neid beis, to assist thame. |
d. pl. be. Forms: 1–3 beon, 2–5 ben, 2– be.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 73 Þeh alle men beon of hore sunnen iclensed. 1205 Lay. 938 Þæt we beon iquemed. c 1340 Cursor M. (Trin.) 14784 But of o þing in were be we. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. v. 418 Tyl matynes and masse be do. c 1450 Merlin x. 150 Loke now that ye be larger. 1611 Bible 1 Sam. xxiii. 21 Blessed be yee of the Lord. 1632 Sanderson 12 Serm. 96 If we be of the Spiritualtie. 1728 T. Sheridan Persius (1739) Ded. 5 Although you be now removed to another Soil. Mod. If we be in time, we shall find him at home. |
¶ For these the indicative forms have been occasionally substituted since the 15th c., and are now chiefly used after if, though, unless, etc.
| 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour B vij, Thus oughte euery good woman..to do his commandment, is it right or wrong. 1611 Bible 1 John iv. 1 Try the spirits whether they are of God. 1667 Marvell Corr. II. xxxvi. 81, I can not be wanted though I am missing. Mod. I never go unless I am specially invited. Tell me if they are in sight. |
II. Inflexions of stem wes-; now replaced by be.
3. pres. imp. a. from wes-: † OE. wes, pl. wesað. Obs. [= OS. wes, wesað, OFris. wese, wesath. OHG. wis, wesat, ON. ver, verið.] Forms: sing. 1 wes, (north. wæs), 2 wæsse, 3 wæs. pl. 1 wesað, wese(ᵹe), (north. wosas), 2 wese(ȝe). (After 1200 only in phrase wæs hail! in Layamon. See wassail.)
| a 1000 Andreas (Gr.) 540 Wes þu ᵹebletsod! c 1000 Ags. Ps. cxiii. 23 Wesað ᵹe ᵹebletsade. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke i. 28 Hal wes ðu! c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Hal wæsse þu. Ibid. Matt. xxviii. 9 Hale wese ȝe [Lindisf. Wosað ȝie hal; Rushw. Beoþ hale]. 1205 Lay. 14970 Lauerd king, wæs hail! [1250 Louerd king, wassail!]. |
b. from be: sing. and pl. be (biː, bɪ). Forms: sing. 1–3 béo, (2 ibeo, 3 bo, bi), 4– be, (6–7 bee). pl. 1–3 béoð, béo(ᵹe), 3–4 buð, 4–5 beoth, beþ, beth(e, north. 4–5 bes, beys (occas. used as sing.), 6 Sc. beis. Negative, dial. beant, baint, mod. Sc. binna, bynna.
| a 1000 Satan 733 (Gr.) Lá! béo nu on yfele. ― Andreas 1611 (Gr.) Ne béoþ ᵹe tó forhte. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 49 Buð admode alse duue. Ibid. 256 I-hered ibeo þu swete þing. 1205 Lay. 1499 Hal beo þu Brutus! Ibid. 19173 Beoð stille! beoð stille! cnihtes inne halle. c 1230 Ancr. R. 174 Ne beo ȝe nout Semei, auh beoð Hester. a 1250 Owl & Night. 262 Bo nu stille, and lat me speke. a 1300 Cursor M. 10454 Be still, or ga me heiþen fra. Ibid. 11161 Bi þou ful traist. a 1300 Havelok 2246 Bes of him ful glad and blithe. c 1320 Seuyn Sag. (W.) 3906 Bese meri, & mase gude chere. 1382 Wyclif Isa. i. 16 Be ȝee washen, beth clene [1388 be ȝe clene]. c 1386 Chaucer Miller's T. 392 (Harl.) Beoth [all 6-texts, be] merye, for the flood passeth anon. c 1400 Destr. Troy ii. 649 Bes wakond and warly. c 1440 Love Bonavent. Mirr. xxvii. 56 (Sherard MS.), Be þou a man of prayer. 1480 Caxton Chron. Eng. cxcvii. 175 Bethe ware sirs. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 38 Obey and be attentiue. 1611 Bible Matt. vi. 16 When yee fast, bee not as the hypocrites. 1816 Scott Old Mort. 111 She says to him, Binna cast doun, but gird yoursell up to the great task o' the day. 1839 Longfellow Ps. of Life, Be not like dumb driven cattle, Be a hero in the strife! |
4. pres. inf. a. from wes-: † OE. wes-an. Obs. [= OS., OHG. wesan, OFris. wesa, ON. vera, Goth. wisan.] Forms: 1 wesan, north. wosa, wossa. Replaced in 11th c. by beon.
| a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 283 (Gr.) Ic mæᵹ wesan god swá he. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. vi. 8 Nallas ᵹe ðonne wosa ᵹelic him. [c 975 Rushw. G., Ne scule forþon ᵹelice beon him.] |
b. from be: be (biː, bɪ). Forms: 1–4 béon (1 north. b{iacu}an), 2–5 ben, 3– be; also 2 bien, boen, 3–4 buen, 4 byen, bue, by, bi, 4–6 bene, been, 4–7 bee.
| 975 [see prec.]. 1070 O.E. Chron. (Parker MS.) Hwi hi ðær beon ne mihton. 1131 Ibid. (Laud) an. 1127 Þær mihte wel ben abuton twenti. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 229 Naman ne mai bien ȝehalden. c 1200 Moral Ode 172 in Lamb. Hom. 171 Bliþe mai he þanne buen. a 1300 K. Horn 446 Þat schal beon idone: Þu schalt beo dubbed kniȝt. 1280 Signs bef. Judgem. 33 in E.E.P. (1862) 8 Þe first tokning sal be þusse. a 1300 Cursor M. 1154 Þou sal bi halden vile. c 1340 Ibid. (Trin.) 4601 Suche defaute shal ben of breed, c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 4137 Þay lete it bene. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 36 Love wil nouht buen [v.r. been, ben(e, be] constreyned. c 1440 Morte Arth. (Roxb.) 2 That auntre shall..by spoke of on euery syde. 1485 Malory Arthur (1817) II. 378 Wete ye wel he wold ben here. Mod. He bids me be quiet. |
c. dat. inf.: 1 to béonne, 2 to bienne, to boen, 3–4 to byenne, to buen, to bue, 3–5 to bene, 4–5 to ben, 4– to be.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Luke ii. 49 Me ᵹebyrað to beonne [Lin⁓disf. to wosanne] on þam ðingum ðe m{iacu}nes fæder synt. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 203 To boen moder of swich sune. Ibid. 233 [Hit] áh to bienne. ? a 1200 Solomon & Sat. (1848) 270 Betere were to bue wis. c 1300 Harrow. Hell 67 Forte buen oure fere. 1340 Ayenb. 169 Þet wes y-woned to byenne þe ealde manere at rome. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. i. (1495) 6 He knoweth al thynges present and to be. a 1440 Sir Degrev. 382 He prayd the portere ffor to bene his mesengere. c 1440 Love Bonavent. Mirr. x. 25 (Gibbs MS.), What tyme þey knewen þe chylde sought to bene [v.r. ben] slayne. 1602 Shakes. Ham. iii. i. 55 To be, or not to be, that is the Question. |
5. pres. pple. a. from stem wes-: † OE. wesende. Obs. [= OS., OFris, wesand, OHG. wesantêr, ON. vesandi, from 12th c. verandi, Goth. wisands.]
| a 1000 Beowulf 750 Ic hine c{uacu}ðe cniht wesende. |
b. from be: being (ˈbiːɪŋ). Forms: 1–4 béonde, 4 beende, 4–7 north. beand; 4– being, (4 beoing, 4–6 beyng(e, 6 bying, 7 beinge, 8 beeing).
| c 1050 in Wülcker Voc. /398 Existentibus, wesendum, beondum. a 1300 Cursor M. (Gött.) 4080 His breder mast in wildrenes beand. c 1340 Ibid. (Laud) 9428 To Adam being in paradice. c 1340 Ibid. (Trin.) 15312 In my blisse beonde. 1382 Wyclif Rom. Prol., New causes beende, also questiounes to comen aftir. 1475 Caxton Jason 69 b, None of them beyng in the arke. 1535 Coverdale 1 Kings xvi. 4 Who so beynge of him dyeth in the felde. c 1538 Starkey England ii. i. 159 Some Bying to lytyl, some to grete. 1615 G. Sandys Trav. 115 The buildings now being, are meane and few. Mod. For the time being. |
III. Parts from stem wes- only.
6. pa. ind. a. 1st and 3rd sing. was (wɒz, wəz, wɒs). [= Goth., OHG., OS., OFris. was, ON. var.] Forms: 1–3 wæs, 2–6 wes, 3– was, (3 weos, 4 wass(e, wase, wesse, wees, watz, 5 wys, 6 wes). Negative 1 næs, 3 neas, nes, 3–5 nas, 5 nasse. Until 16th or 17th c., was rimed with pass, etc. In was 't = was it, it has still the s sound. (For was used in the plural, see below were ¶ ).
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. John i. 1 In fruma uæs uord. c 1000 Ags. G. ibid., On frymðe wæs word. c 1160 Hatton G. ibid., On anginne ærest wæs word. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 17 He wes iboren of ure lefdi. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 67 Al mankin, þe was..and nu is. 1205 Lay. 2984 Þat þæt wæs þe olde king. Ibid. 3466 And ich nas na wurdra, þenne ich nes weldinde. a 1300 Cursor M. 1074 Wid þe cheke bon of ane asse Men say þat abel slain wasse. Ibid. 12695 Sco was wit barn. c 1340 Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1 Þe assaut watz sesed at Troye. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 799 A lytille child ybore þer wys. c 1420 Pallad. on Husb. iv. 886 Gentiler in kynde never nasse. 1475 Caxton Jason 6 Ther was grete nombre of speeres. 1611 Bible John i. 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. |
¶ Dialectally were, war occur: hence the negative warn't, wa'n't, in 18th c. dramatists.
| 1535 Bury Wills (1850) 126 My rynge whych wher my wyffys. 1633 Brome North. Lass ii. ii, He sed I were a deaft Lasse. 1775 Sheridan Rivals i. ii. (1883) 85 It wa'n't fit for a Christian to read. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xxxiv, Was one of those voices Pickwick's? Yes, it were, sir. 1865 ― Mut. Fr. xii, Warn't I troubled? |
b. 2nd sing. wast (wɒst, wəst), orig. were. [in Goth. wast, ON. vast, vart, OHG., OS. wâri, OFris. wêre.] Forms: 1 wǽre, 2–6 were, (3 wore), 6–7 werst, wart, 6– wert, wast. North. 3– was. negative 1–3 nære, nere. The modern analogical wast has displaced the etymological were (with grammatical ablaut) chiefly under the influence of Tindale and the Bible; the intermediate wert (Shakespeare's form) prevailed in literature during the 17th and 18th c., and has been used by many 19th century writers.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John i. 48 Þa þu wære [Rushw. were] under þam fictréowe. c 1300 Havelok 684 Cherl, als thou er wore. a 1300 Cursor M. (Cott.) 6248 Ta þat wand Þat þou was wont [Trin. MS. þou were] ber in þi hand. 1382 Wyclif John i. 48 Whanne thou were vndir the fyge tree. [1534 Tindale, and all subseq. versions, When thou wast]. a 1520 Myrr. Our Ladye 178 Thou O vyrgyn..that were souerayne delyte to god hymselfe..were ioye to aungels. 1611 Shakes. Wint. T. ii. i. 174 Thou wer't borne a foole. 1617 Hieron Wks. (1628) II. 122 Why did I forget that thou wart an Observer? 1627 Hakewill Apologie (1630) 83 Thou, who werst a Christian before. 1738 Glover Leonidas iii. 560 Thou, who once wert Lacedæmon's chief. 1748 Richardson Clarissa (1811) II. 204 Wert thou bid to come up? 1820 Shelley To Skylark i, Hail to thee, blithe spirit! Bird thou never wert. 1822 Hazlitt Table-t. ser. ii. iv. (1869) 91 Thou wert damned. 1875 Browning Aristoph. Apol. 232 Thou wast less friendly far than thou didst seem. |
c. pl. were (wɛə(r), wɜː(r), wə(r)). [= OFris. wêran, OS. wârun, OHG. wârumes, wârut, wârun, ON. vǫ́rum, várum, váruð, váru, Goth. wesum, wesuþ, wesun.] Forms: 1 wærun, 1–2 wæron, 2 wæren, 2–5 weren, 3– were; (2 waren, 3–4 weore(n, wore(n, 3–6 ware, 4 warre, wair, quar, 4–6 werne, warn, wer, war, wher, whar, 5 werene, werun, 6 warren, werren.) Also 4– was. negative 1–3 næron, neoren, nere.
(For were used in the sing. see above, was ¶ ).
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John i. 24 Þá wǽron of sundor-halᵹan. 1160 Hatton G. ibid., Þá wǽren. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 15 Þas laȝen weren from Moyses. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 31 Hie waren swiðe..ofdredde. Ibid. 143 Seuen awerȝede gostes ware on hire. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 2446 Swilc woren egipte laȝes. a 1300 Havelok 717 Hise two doutres, that faire wore. a 1300 Cursor M. (Gött.) 11490 Þar iesu and his moder warn [v.r. wern, werne]. c 1340 Ibid. (Trin.) 388 Boþe were [v.r. war, ware, was] made sonne and mone. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 28 And wel we weren esed atte beste. Ibid. 41 And eek in what array that they were inne. c 1410 Love Bonavent. Mirr. x. (Gibbs MS.) Þei þat werene so noble. 1462 Paston Lett. 453 II. 104 Your brother and Debenham were at words. 1557 Barclay (Paynell) Jugurth 5 b, What tyme ye warre without riches. 1611 Bible Num. xiii. 33 Wee were in our owne sight as grashoppers, and so we were in their sight. |
¶ The plural had formerly also was; almost universally so in 16–18th c. with you when used as a singular. Still dial. in all persons.
| c 1340 Cursor M. (Trin.) 944 Into þe world þere þei made was. c 1430 Syr Gener. 5674 Traitoures was him euer loothe. c 1460 Fortescue Abs. & Lim. Mon. 108 Whan thay came togeders, thay was..occupyyd with their own maters. 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. iv. i. 38 There was more then one..I, more there was. 1671 Wilkins in Grew Anat. Plants Pref., You was very happy in the choice of this Subject. 1684 Bunyan Pilg. ii. 76, I suppose you was in a dream. 1735 Walpole Corr. (1820) I. 3 When you was at Eton. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones vi. v, What was you reading when I came in? 1811 Jane Austen Sense & Sens. (1870) II. i. 122, I felt sure that you was angry with me. 1837 Dickens Pickw. xxxiii, You was to come to him at six o'clock. Mod. dial. They was here. |
7. pa. subj. a. 1st and 3rd sing. were (wɛə(r), wɜː(r), wə(r)). [= OFris. wêre, ON. væri, OS. and OHG. wâri, Goth. 1 wesjau, 3 wesi.] Forms: 1–2 wǽre, 2– were, (2–3 weore, 3–4 wor(e, 4–5 ware, war, 6 weare.)
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 5 Er þis were. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1312 Ȝif ich were a bisimere. a 1300 Havelok 1938 Me wore leuere I wore lame. a 1300 Cursor M. 1599 Þou he war [v.r. were] wrath it was na wrang. c 1440 Love Bonavent. Mirr. x. 25 (Gibbs MS.) As he were a pore man. 1486 Bk. St. Albans A iiij, As it ware the mawe of a pegeon. 1529 More in Four C. Eng. Lett. 12 What way wer best to take. 1788 Burns Oh, were I on Parnassus' Hill! 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos I. vi. 42 By my faith it were treason. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola x, If I were only a Theocritus. Mod. Would I were there! |
b. 2 sing. wert (wɛət, wɜːt), formerly were. [= OFris. wêre, ON. værir, OS. and OHG. wârîs, Goth. weseis. The final -t in Eng., formerly -est, -st, is on the analogy of the indic.] Forms: 1–2 wǽre, 2–6 were; 6–7 werest, werst; 6– wert.
| c 1300 Harrow. Hell 131 Were thou among men. 1535 Coverdale 2 Esdras v. 30 Though thou werest enemye. ― Ezek. xxviii. 6 As though thou werst God. 1611 Bible Rev. iii. 15, I would thou wert cold or hote [Wyclif, Coverd., Cranmer, Rhem. were, Genev. werest]. a 1796 Burns Oh, wert thou in the cauld blast. |
c. pl. were (wɛə(r), wɜː(r), wə(r)) with grammatical ablaut. [= OFris. wêre, ON. værim, -ið, -i, OS. wârin, OHG. wârîmês, -ît, -în, Goth. weseima, -eiþ, -eina.] Forms: 1–2 wǽren, 2–4 weren, (3 weoren, 3–4 woren, waren), 3– were, (3 weore, 4 wore, weere, 4–6 war(e, 6 wer.)
| 1205 Lay. 50 Out of þeowedome, freo þat heo weoren [1250 were]. a 1300 Havelok 2661 And fouhten so thei woren wode. 1480 Robt. Devyll 10 Ye were better lette me a lone. 1571 Lyndesay MS. Collect., Swownand, lyk as thai war bot life. 1611 Bible John xv. 19 If ye were of the world, the world would loue his owne [So Tindale, etc.] 1766 Fordyce Serm. Yng. Wom. II. viii. 4 Were these extinguished, what were this world? 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. ii. 1153 Were they verily the lady's own..she must be the fondest of the frail. |
¶ For the singular, the indicative form was was common in 17–18th c.; it was even used for the plural by writers who used was in the plural indicative.
| 1684 Bunyan Pilg. ii. 77 As if one was awake. 1713 Beveridge Private Th. ii. (1730) 46 Which certainly would be the greatest Absurdity..was not they God as well as He. 1760 Sterne Serm. Yorick viii. (1773) 88 A man, of whom, was you to form a conjecture, etc. 1768 ― Sent. Journ. (1778) I. 85 Was I in a desert, I would find out, etc. 1787 G. White Selborne v. (1789) 11 The manor of Selborne, was it strictly looked after..would swarm with game. |
IV. Parts from be only.
8. pa. pple.: been (biːn, bɪn). Forms: Southern ? 1–2 ᵹebéon, 2–3 ibeon, ibon, iben, ibi, 3–4 ibeo, beo, 3–5 ibe, ybe, 4 yben, by, 4–6 be. Northern ? 2–3 beon, 3–7 ben, 4 beyn, buen, 4–7 bene, 5–6 byn(ne, 6–8 bin, 7– beene, 5– been. Not known in OE., where no pa. pple. of any of these verbs (am, was, be) appears. The common literary form in 14–15th c. was be, before the general acceptance of the northern ben, bene. South-western dialects have still a-be = ibe. (In U.S. often pronounced ben.)
| a 1107 OE. Chron. (Laud MS.) an. 1096 He heafde ᵹebeon on þes cynges swicdome. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 159 Wel longe ich habbe child ibon [v.r. iben, ibeo]. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 239 Þus hit hað ibi and is. c 1200 Ormin 8399 Haffde he beon. Ibid. 2311 Hafde ben. 1205 Lay. 8325 Þu hafuest ibeon [1250 beon] ouer-cumen. c 1230 Ancr. R. 316 Ich habbe ibeon fol. a 1300 Cursor M. (Cott.) 14638 War yemed haf I ben [Gött. bene]. c 1300 Beket 133 Lute we habbeth to-gadere I-beo. c 1300 Harrow. Hell 173 So longe we haveth buen herynne. 1375 Barbour Bruce i. 527 Thai mycht nocht haiff beyn tane. c 1375 Wyclif Serm. xliii. Sel. Wks. 1871 II. 346 Trespassours, þat wolden..have be ever wantoun. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. xiv. 95 As it neuere had ybe. c 1386 Chaucer Prol. 60 At mortal batailles hadde he be [v.r. ben, been] fiftene. ― Merch. T. 1157 A man that longe hath blynd ybe [v.r. ibe, blynde be]. c 1400 Destr. Troy xii. 8913 Þat any dede has be don. c 1420 Sir Amadace xxxix, A mon that hase alle way bynne kynde. c 1450 Merlin xv. 239 Where the battle had I-be. 1455 E. Clere in Four C. Eng. Lett. 5 Nor wist not where he had be, whils he had be seke til now. 1483 Act 1 Rich. III, i. §1 As..if this Act had not be made. 1526 Tindale John v. 5 Which had bene [1582 Rhem. been] diseased. Ibid. xiv. 9 Haue I bene [1611 bin] so long tyme with you?. 1575 J. Still Gamm. Gurton v. ii, Had my hens be stolne eche one. 1579 Lyly Euphues (1636) E iij b, Had it not bin better for thee? 1560 Jewel Serm. Matt. ix. 37–8 As if they had byn a flock of sheepe. c 1645 Howell Lett. (1726) 23 Having bin so rocked and shaken at Sea. 1864 Tennyson En. Ard. 420 You have been as God's good angel in our house. |
B. Signification and uses.
[The primary sense appears to have been that of branch II below, ‘to occupy a place’ (i.e. to sit, stand, lie, etc.) in some specified place; thence the more abstract branch I was derived by abstracting the notion of particular place, so as to emphasize that of actual existence, ‘to be somewhere, no matter where, to be in the universe, or realm of fact, to have a place among existing things, to exist.’ Branch III was derived from II by weakening the idea of actual presence, into the merely intellectual conception of ‘having a place’ in a class of notions, or ‘being identical with’ another notion: ‘centaurs are imaginary creatures’ = ‘centaurs have their place in the class of creatures of the imagination.’ Branch IV is an obvious extension of III: cf. ‘it was annoying to me,’ with ‘it was annoying me.’]
I. absolutely: To have or take place in the world of fact, to exist, occur, happen.
1. To have place in the objective universe or realm of fact, to exist; also, to exist in life, to live.
| c 1000 ælfric Exod. iii 14 Ic eom se þe eom cwæþ he..se ðe ys me sende to eow. c 1340 Cursor M. (Fairf.) 9732 This world..hast þou made fadir þorogh me to bene. 1548 Udall Erasm. Par. Matt. xxii. 105 They beleue..nothyng to be but that whiche they see. 1587 Golding De Mornay iii. 26 All things that are, or euer were, or shall hereafter bee. 1611 Bible Gen. v. 24 Enoch walked with God: and hee was not, for God tooke him. 1698 Dryden æneid ii. 438 Troy is no more, and Ilium was a Town. 1732 Pope Ess. Man i. 109 To Be, contents his natural desire. 1810 Scott Lady of L. iii. i, How are they blotted from the things that be. 1823 Byron Juan ix. xxiv, Tyrants and sycophants have been and are. 1827 Carlyle Misc. (1857) I. 61 God is, nay alone is. 1837 ― Fr. Rev. I. i. 6 So much that was not is beginning to be. |
b. with there. [See there, for its use with verbs.]
| a 1300 Cursor M. 10783 There bene reasons wretyn sere That god wold she spousid were. c 1386 Chaucer Pars. T. ¶21 Ther ben thre acciouns of penitence. 1426 Audelay Poems 16 Ther bene bot feu truly. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 86 Thers no redempcion. a 1586 Answ. Cartwright 79 There were of the princes that tooke his parte. 1650 Baxter Saints' R. i. i. (1662) 3 There's few will deny, that God knows. 1711 Pope Rape Lock 79 Some nymphs there are, too conscious of their face. Mod. There are photographs and photographs. |
2. To come into existence, come about, happen, occur, take place, be acted or done.
(To become, come about, was the OE. and early ME. sense of béon, while still a distinct vb., before it became blended with am, was.)
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xxiv. 3 Cueð us, hoenne ðas biðon. c 975 Rushw. G. ibid., Sæᵹe us hwænne þas beoþ. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 177 Hu scal þat bon? c 1350 Will. Palerne 1930 Manly on þe morwe þat mariage schuld bene. 1530 Palsgr. 421/1 Be as be may, vaille que vaille. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 43 Be as be maie is no bannyng. 1775 Sheridan Rivals in Casquet. Lit. (1877) IV. 37/2 Your husband that shall be. a 1804 Nelson in Nicolas Disp. II. 457 Marry..speedily, or the to be Mrs. Berry will have very little of your company. Mod. When is the wedding to be? The flower-show was last week. |
3. To be the case or the fact, esp. in the phrases so be, be it that = if it be the case that, suppose that, and the arch. or dial. being, being that = it being the case that, seeing that, since. Hence the adverb howbeit.
| c 1314 Guy Warw. 203 Bi so that he wille kisse me, Euer eft we schul frendes be. c 1400 Mandeville v. 40 Beso it be not aȝenst his Lawe. 1547 Brende Let. in Tytler Hist. Scot. (1864) III. 380 If so be he will stand. 1549 Latimer Serm. bef. Edw. VI, vi. I. 178 Be it so, the Corinthians had no such contentions among them. 1611 Bible Job xix. 4 And be it indeed that I haue erred. 1851 J. Hume Repent. iv. Poems 96 So-be the haunting sense of wrong..Were loosen'd from his breast. |
| 1528 T. More Heresyes iii. Wks. 214/2 Beyng though they wer but men. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, ii. i. 199 You loyter heere too long, being you are to take Souldiers vp. 1641 Best Farm. Bks. (1856) 120 They went all for halfe gates, beinge that they coulde not bee discerned. 1641 Milton Ch. Discip. ii. Wks. (1851) 61 Being they are Church-men, we may rather suspect, etc. 1659 Pearson Creed To Rdr., Being the Creed comprehendeth the principles of our religion, it must, etc. 1692 Lady Russell Lett. 26 May, I believe your newspapers..tell you all, but being there is nothing newer, I would do it too. 1815 Scott Guy M. ix, With whom he himself had no delight in associating, ‘being that he was addicted unto profane and scurrilous jests.’ |
4. To remain or go on in its existing condition; in the archaic phrase let be = let alone, leave as it is; leave off, cease; Sc. omit, leave out.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 153 Uter let al this be. c 1380 Sir Ferumb. 281 Al ȝour mornyng leteþ now ben. c 1386 Chaucer Friar's Prol. 25 Telleth your tale, and let the sompnour be. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. v. 174 Let be al ȝoure ianglyng. c 1450 Merlin i. 16 Let me be, and beth in pes. 1513 Douglas æneis iv. vi. 159 With thi complayntis..Lat be to vex me. Ibid. ix. Prol. 25 All lous langage and lychtnes lattand be. 1530 Palsgr. 607/1 Let be this nycenesse, my frende. 1596 Spenser F.Q. ii. vii. 18 Lett be thy bitter scorne. 1611 Bible Matt. xxvii. 49 Let be, let vs see whether Elias will come. 1775 H. Baillie Lett. I. 51 (Jam.) Morton, Roxburgh, let be Haddington or Stirling, were not of sufficient shoulder. Ibid. I. 170 He had never any such resolution, let be plot. 1869 Blackmore Lorna D. xv. (1872) 89, I thank you; let me be. |
b. Here may be included an idiom in which be is practically = ‘continue, remain,’ though the analysis is not clear, and there is apparently confusion of structure.
| 1601 Shakes. All's well ii. i. 94 Ile fit you, And not be all day neither. 1865 Carlyle Fredk. Gt. IV. xii. iv. 151 Town-Officer is some considerable time before he can return. |
In quot. 1865 the sense may be ‘It is some considerable time before Town Officer can return.’, but cf. the following, which have various relations with other senses:
| 1570 R. Ascham Scholem. i. (Arb.) 35, I haue bene longer in describing the nature..of the quicke and hard witte than..the matter doth require. 1600 Shakes. A.Y.L. ii. v. 34 He hath bin all this day to looke you. 1628 Digby Voy. Medit. 1868 7 And they having bin a long time from any port. Mod. I was a long while unable to arise; I was [also, it was] a long while before I could rise. You have been rather long about it. Go, but don't be long! |
Cf. also such phrases as ‘We are ten miles, an hour's drive, two hours, from the nearest railway station,’ which come under 5.
II. With adverb or prepositional phrase: stating where or how, i.e. in what place or state a thing is. [= Sp., Pg. estar as distinct from ser.]
5. To have or occupy a place (i.e. to sit, stand, lie, hang, etc.—the posture not being specified or regarded) somewhere, the ‘where’ being expressed either by an adverb or a preposition with object. Expressing the most general relation of a thing to its place: To have one's personality, substance, or presence, to be present, so as to find oneself, or be to be found (in, at, or near a place, with an object, etc.).
| a 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 298 On swa hwilcum huse swa he biþ. c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xxviii. 20 Ic béo mid eow ealle daᵹas. 1297 R. Glouc. 374 Hou mony plou lond, & hou mony hyden al so, Were in eueryche ssyre. c 1300 Harrow. Hell 82 Alle tho that bueth heryne. c 1400 Mandeville ii. 10 Some men trowen that half the Cros..be in Cipres. 1465 Marg. Paston in Lett. 505 II. 194 Ryght glad that we err ther a mongs hem. 1674 Brevint Saul at Endor 164 He having bin in his Coffin the greatest part of the night after his death. 1722 De Foe Hist. Plague (1754) 6 Terrible Apprehensions were among the People. 1771 Fletcher Check Wks. 1795 II. 194 You are just where you was. 1821 Byron Sardan. iii. i. 401 Again the love-fit's on him. 1861 Thackeray Four Georges iii. 120 Where be the sentries who used to salute? Mod. Your book is here, under the table. |
b. Often used with there, esp. when the subject is introduced to notice: cf. ‘your brother (about whom you ask) is in the garden,’ with ‘there is a cow (something not previously present to the mind) in the garden.’
| [1475 Caxton Jason 8 b, And were no more on their side but they two only.] 1594 Hooker Eccl. Pol. Pref. i. §2 If there be in you that gracious humility. 1675 Evelyn Mem. (1857) II. 103 There was not his equal in the whole world. 1821 Byron Sardan. i. i, There be bright faces in the hall. |
6. Idiomatically, in past, now only in perfect and pluperfect tenses, with to, and a substantive, or infinitive of purpose: To have been (at the proper place) in order to, or for the purpose of. Cf. Sp. and Pg. fué ‘I was’ in sense of ‘I went.’
| c 1645 Howell Lett. (1678) 24, I was yesterday to wait upon Sir Herbert Croft. 1747 Lady Shaftesb. in Priv. Lett. Ld. Malmesbury I. 51, I was to see the new farce. 1760 Goldsmith Cit. W. (1840) 158, I was this morning to buy silk for a nightcap. Mod. Have you been to the Crystal Palace? I had been to see Irving that night. |
b. to be off, be away: a graphic expression for ‘to go at once, take oneself off.’
| 1826 Disraeli Viv. Grey vi. vi. 352 We had better order our horses and be off. 1873 Black Pr. Thule xii. 186 The stag..was away like lightning down the bed of the stream. 1884 W. C. Smith Kildrost. 65, I must be off into the woods. |
c. been and (gone and) ―: vulgar or facetious expletive amplification of the pa. pple. of a verb, used to express surprise or annoyance at the act specified.
| 1836 Dickens Pickw. xxvi, Lauk, Mrs. Bardell,..see what you've been and done! 1847 Thackeray Van. Fair xv, Sir Pitt has been and proposed for to marry Miss Sharp. 1869 W. S. Gilbert Bab Ballads 218 The padre said, ‘Whatever have you been and gone and done?’ 1891 [see go v. 32 c]. 1920 R. Macaulay Potterism ii. i. 61 She's been and gone and done it. She's got engaged. 1926 D. L. Sayers Clouds of Witness ii. 48, I say, Helen, old Gerald's been an' gone an' done it this time, what? |
7. To sit, stand, remain, etc. in a defined circumstantial position, e.g. to be in debt, at one's ease; to have one's existence in a certain state or condition. a. with prep. phr.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 7 Ȝef we beoð under soð scrifte. c 1340 Cursor M. (Laud MS.) 942 Therfor ye bene in wo and stryfe. Ibid. 10446 When þou shuldist be best at ease. c 1430 Syr Gener. (1865) 41 Al men that on live bene. 1531–2 Act 23 Hen. VIII, xvi, One halfe of the price..shalbe to the use of the seysour. 1535 Coverdale Zech. viii. 2, I was in a greate gelousy ouer Sion. 1540 R. Hyrde Vives' Instr. Chr. Wom. (1592) E ij To bee at the lust of the Judge. 1611 Bible Ex. v. 19 They were in euill case. 1666 Marvell Corr. liv. Wks. 1872–5 II. 191 Proposalls that have bin undir deliberation. 1712 Addison Spect. No. 369 ¶14 Any one..who will be at the pains of examining it. 1866 Kingsley Herew. xvii. 214 The battle..is more in my way. |
b. with adv.
| c 1350 Will. Palerne 547 Nay best beþ it nouȝt so. 1463 Plumpton Corr. 8, I trust all shalbe well. 1611 Bible Gen. xliii. 27 Is your father well? [Wyclif saaf; Coverd., Geneva in good health]. 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. iii. 717 Content to be and to be well. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. II. 171 Asking how his Highness was. |
8. To belong, pertain, befall: with dat. or to, = have. Cf. L. est mihi, Fr. c'est à moi. Now only in exclamations or wishes (where, also, be is often omitted), as Wo is me! Wo be to the transgressor! Success (be) to your efforts!
| a 1300 E.E. Psalter cxxviii. 2 Wele bes to þe nou. 1382 Wyclif Luke i. 7 A sone was not to hem. c 1400 Mandeville 36 The kyngdom of Arabye that was to on of the 3 kynges. 1535 Coverdale Ps. cxxvii. 2 O well is the, happie art thou. 1602 Shakes. Ham. ii. ii. 124 Whilst this Machine is to him. 1605 ― Lear i. i. 68 To thine and Albanies issues be this perpetuall. 1611 Bible Ecclus. xxv. 9 Well is him that hath found prudence. ― Eph. vi. 23 Peace be to the brethren. ― Rev. i. 4 Grace be vnto you, and peace, from him which is. |
† b. To pertain as a misfortune, to have befallen to; to be amiss, be the matter with, ail. Obs.
| 1297 R. Glouc. 128 Merlyn wat ys the? a 1300 Cursor M. 4395 Leuedi, quat es at ȝou? [v.r. what is ȝou? what ayles ȝou?] a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 467 [Thei] axede hire what hire were. a 1300 Havelok 2704 Godrich, wat is þe, þat þou fare þus with me? |
III. With adjective, substantive, or adjective phrase; acting as simple copula: stating of what sort or what a thing is. [= Sp., Pg. ser, as distinct from estar.]
9. To exist as the subject of some predicate, i.e. to have a place among the things distinguished by a specified quality or name. a. with adj.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. Matt. xi. 30 Min ᵹeoc is wynsum and min byrðyn ys leoht. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 197 Ne beo ich neuer bliðe. c 1340 Cursor M. (Trin.) 3109 Þe folke was gode, þe world was clene. Ibid. 12578 Ar he were tuelue ȝeer olde. 1387 Trevisa Higden (1865) I. 9 Now men beþ al sad. c 1440 Morte Arth. (Roxb.) 74 Wemen are frele. c 1440 Hylton Scala Perf. (W. de W. 1494) xx, Ful drye & ful colde arn her hertes. 1534 Tindale John xiii. 11 Ye are not all clene. 1579 Lyly Euphues (1636) D viij, Neither haue I bin curious to inquire of his Progenitors. 1611 Bible Ps. cviii. 30 Then are they glad because they be quiet. 1652 Needham Selden's Mare Cl. 171 Whose name is very frequent in the mouths of men. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 144 Gaunt are his Sides, and sullen is his Face. 1830 Tennyson Mariana, I am aweary, aweary, I would that I were dead. |
b. with phr. = adj. (closely allied to 7).
| a 1200 Ormin 2455 Þu best wiþþ childe. a 1300 Cursor M. 10303 Fastinge he was in wille to be. Ibid. 10572 Anna wit child was of a mai. c 1400 Partonope 874 Beth of goode comfort. 1592 West Symbol. i. i. §9 Of which sort bin all naturall Obligations. 1734 tr. Rollin's Anc. Hist. (1827) I. iii. 260 He was of Memphis. 1748 Hartley Observ. Man i. i. §1 ¶46 The Instance above noted is most to this Purpose. 1828 Scott F.M. Perth II. 67 Be of good courage. 1837 Newman Par. Serm. I. xxiv. 365 Religion is said to be against nature. 1867 Times 18 Nov. 7/2 The advices from Adelaide..are to the 28th September. |
c. with n. (used connotatively).
| c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. viii. 9 Forðon and ic monn amm under mæht. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 219 Hi bæ ð alle gastes. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 458 Al arn we membrez of Ihesu kryst. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. (1871) III. 442 Þese freres bene men of holy Chirche. 1570 R. Ascham Scholem. i. (Arb.) 68 You be indeed makers or marrers. 1626 R. Bernard Isle of Man (1627) 155, I haue alwayes bin a free man. 1678 Bunyan Pilg. i. 14 Though I have bin An undeserving rebel. 1817 Byron Manfred ii. iv. 133, I feel but what thou art—and what I am. 1850 Lynch Theo. Trin. x. 200 Only by being man can we know man. |
d. colloq. With idiomatic repetition of the verb in the following clause. (Further examples in Visser Hist. Syntax I. 55.) Cf. it 4 c.
| 1828 M. Mitford Our Village, III. 202 He's a sad pickle is Sam! 1928 R. Macaulay Keeping up Appearances iv. §i. 35 She's very sympathetic, Daphne is. 1930 Belloc Wolsey iv. 58 It is a rare function, is industry upon this level. 1932 R. Knox Broadcast Minds vii. 156 Yes, he is true to type, is Mr. Heard. 1958 P. Gallico Steadfast Man ii. 43 He was an honest man, was Patrick. |
10. with n. To exist as the thing known by a certain name; to be identical with.
| c 1000 Ags. Gosp. John xix. 21 Ic eom iudea cyning. c 1160 Hatt. G. ibid., Ich ém iudea kyning. c 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 946 God..es maker of althynge, And of alle creatures þe bygynnynge. c 1400 Gamelyn 583 Hit ben þe Shirreues men. 1486 Plumpton Corr. 49 These bent the tydings that I know. c 1530 Redforde Play Wyt & Sc. (1848) 3 Ah! syr, what tyme of day yst? 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. iii. ii. 73 Am I Dromio? Am I your man?. Am I my selfe? 1610 ― Temp. i. ii. 434 My selfe am Naples. 1630 Wadsworth Sp. Pilgr. i. 4 'Twas clear it was not gaine was his marke. 1805 Foster Ess. ii. vi. 204 Let thinking be reasoning. 1872 Yeats Tech. Hist. Comm. 212 The earth and the atmosphere are the two sources. |
11. To be the same in purport as; to signify, amount to, mean.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 5 Vigilate, þat is beð wakiende. c 1220 Hali Meid. 3 Him ȝeme hwat euch word bee sun⁓derliche to seggen. c 1230 Ancr. R. 58 Best is þe bestliche mon þæt ne þencheð nout of God. 1302 Wyclif Gen. xli. 26 Seuen oxen fayr, and seuen eerys fulle, seuen ȝeris of plentith ben. 1611 Bible Ibid., The seuen good kine are seuen yeares. 1597 Bacon Coulers Good & Evill, Ess. (Arb.) 153 The burning of that had bin gradus privationis. 1884 Weekly Times 7 Mar. 4/4 To fall was to die. Mod. I'll tell you what it is, you must leave. |
12. To amount to (something) of moment or importance, to ‘signify’ to a person; to concern.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 13383 Quat es þat to me and þe? Ibid. 16487 What is that to vs? 1526 Tindale Matt. xxvii. 4 What is that to vs? Se thou to that, 1611 Bible Lam. i. 12 Is it nothing to you, all ye that passe by? Mod. Is it nothing to you, that you have alienated your friends? |
13. ellipt. To be good for, to be at the expense of, ‘stand.’ Obs. or dial.
| 1749 Fielding Tom Jones viii. v, The wine being now at an end, the barber pressed very eagerly to be his bottle. Ibid. xv. xii, I said I would be my pot too. 1765 Goldsm. Strolling Player, Ess. vi, If I have threepence in my pocket I never refuse to be my three halfpence. Mod. Colloq. He was asked to be his share in the expense and refused. |
IV. With participles and infinitives, serving as an auxiliary and forming periphrastic tenses.
14. With pa. pple.: a. in trans. vbs., forming the passive voice. (For present pple. passive, see 15 c.)
| c 825 Vesp. Psalter l. 9 Ðu on-striᵹdes mec mid ysopan..ðu ðwes mec, & ofer snaw, ic biom ge-whitad [Wyclif, And I shal ben clensid]. c 885 K. ælfred Boeth. xiii. 40 Ic eom of wundrod. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 59 In þe font we weren eft iboren. c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. A. 571 Mony ben calle[d]. c 1410 Love Bonavent. Mirr. x. 24 (Gibbs MS.), We shulden not by styred to impacyence. 1606 G. W[oodcocke] Justine 31 b, Pausanias, being attached for treason, fled. 1637 Decr. Star Chamb. on Printing 11 July §2 That no person..print or cause to bee printed. 1674 Brevint Saul at Endor 140 Vows..were never heard to have bin made to any Saint, but to God alone. 1683 Col. Rec. Pennsylvania I. 57 Bee it enacted by the Authority aforesaid that y⊇ days of y⊇ week..shall be called as in Scripture. 1874 Helps Soc. Press. iii. 57 The political aspect of the subject has not been approached. |
b. in intr. vbs., forming perfect tenses, in which use it is now largely displaced by have after the pattern of transitive verbs: be being retained only with come, go, rise, set, fall, arrive, depart, grow, and the like, when we express the condition or state now attained, rather than the action of reaching it, as ‘the sun is set,’ ‘our guests are gone,’ ‘Babylon is fallen,’ ‘the children are all grown up.’
| 894 O.E. Chron., Wæs Hæsten þá þǽr cumen mid his herᵹe. c 1200 Trin. Coll Hom. 173 Alle þe sinfulle þe forð sende farene. a 1300 Cursor M. 14322 Thre dais es gan. c 1350 Will. Palerne 1457 Þe grete lordes..beþ lenged now here. c 1450 Merlin x. 165 In euell tyme ben oure enmyes entred. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. cxxix. 156 They are rested in there batayls. 1556 Veron Godly Sayings (1846) 145 Aungels, that bene come down from heaven. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 361 These children, Which accidentally are met together. 1628 Hobbes Thucyd. (1822) 62 He gave out they were run away. 1670 G. H. Hist. Cardinals i. i. 24 Some there are, who believe that Miracles are not ceas'd. 1671 Milton P.R. ii. 140 Therefore I am returned. 1685 Lond. Gaz. No. 2069/4 The Dartmouth is Sailed to the Westward. 1773 Goldsm. Stoops to Conq. i. i. (1854) 50 He informs me his son is set out. 1852 C. M. Yonge Cameos I. ix. 58 His parents were grown old. |
15. With the present participle, forming continuous varieties of the tenses. a. with active signification. In OE. only wæs was so used, forming a kind of imperfect; the present was in use by the 13th c. In later times this was confused with a formation upon the vbl. n., of which see examples under a prep.1 13; the OE. he wæs feohtende, and ME. ‘he was a-fighting,’ meet in the modern ‘he was fighting.’
| 885 O.E. Chron., æþelwulf ferde to Rome and þær wæs xii monaþ wuniende. c 1175 Cott. Hom. 225 Adam þa wes wuniende on þeses life. a 1300 Cursor M. 15665 Bes [v.r. be] wakand ai in orisun. c 1400 Mandeville xxiii. 253 Thei trowen..thei schulle be etynge and drynkynge. 1562 J. Heywood Prov. & Epigr. (1867) 37 Leat vs be trudgeing. 1576 Lambarde Peramb. Kent, Some fleeting beene in floodes. 1653 Holcroft Procopius 29 The Romans being preparing their dinners. 1684 Bunyan Pilg. ii. 227 He was talking of thee. 1727 Vanbrugh Journ. Lond. i. 1, It's at the Door, they are getting out. 1750 Harris Hermes (1841) 142 Riseth means, is rising; writeth, is writing. 1774 Burke Sp. Amer. Tax. Wks. II. 401, I hope I am not going into a narrative troublesome to the house. 1863 Geo. Eliot Romola xlv, The bells were still ringing. |
b. with passive signification: in such expression as ‘the ark was building,’ the last word was originally the gerund or verbal substantive, and the full expression was ‘the ark was a-building or in building,’ of which see instances under a prep.1 12.
| 1551 Robinson More's Utop. (1869) 64 Whyles a commodye of Plautus is playinge. 1557 N. T. (Geneva) 1 Pet. iii. 20 While the arcke was [1611 was in] preparing. 1685 R. Burton Eng. Emp. Amer. ii. 28 Strong preparations being making for wars. Mod. We stayed there while our house was building. |
c. The ambiguity of the construction ‘is building’ in the two preceding senses has led in modern Eng. to the use in the latter sense of ‘is being built,’ formed upon the present pple. passive ‘being built.’
| [1596 Of Ghostes and Spirits 14 The noyse of a leafe being mooved so affrighteth him. 1653 H. More Antid. Ath. 26 Acting and being acted upon by others. 1754 Richardson Grandison III. 46 To sit up late either reading or being read to. 1769 Mrs. Harris in Lett. 1st Ld. Malmesbury (1870) I. 180 There is a good opera of Pugniani's now being acted. 1779 J. Harris Ibid. I. 410 Sir Guy Carlton was four hours being examined.] 1795 Southey in C. Southey Life I. 249 A fellow..whose grinder is being torn out by the roots. 1797 Coleridge in Biog. Lit. (1847) II. 317 While my hand was being dressed. 1823 Lamb Elia, Inconv. being hanged, A man who is being strangled. 1846 Newman Ess. Crit. & Hist. II, 448 At this very moment, souls are being led into the Catholic Church. a 1859 De Quincey Wks. IV. 7 Not done, not even (according to modern purism) being done. 1873 Huxley Crit. & Addresses 247 The corpuscles enter into the eggs while they are being formed. |
16. With the dative infinitive, making a future of appointment or arrangement; hence of necessity, obligation, or duty; in which sense have is now commonly substituted. † a. with inf. active. Obs.
| c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 3 Alle þo þe habben ben..and alle þo þe ben to cumen her after. 1382 Wyclif Gen. xiii. 17, I am to [1388 Y schal] ȝyue it to thee. 1382 ― Eccles. ii. 18, I knowe not whether wis or fool he be to ben. 1622 Massinger Virgin Mart. iii. i, A King of Egypt, being to erect The image of Osiris. 1692 Locke Educ. §167 If a Gentleman be to study any Language, it ought to be that of his own Country. 1703 Rowe Fair Penit. Ded., If this be not a receiv'd Maxim, yet I am sure I am to wish it were. 1725 De Foe Voy. round World (1840) 22 Mighty uneasy..about their being to go back again. 1742 Richardson Pamela III. 264, I am to thank you, my dear Miss, for your kind Letter. 1814 Scott Wav. I. v. 55 Had he been to chuse between any punishment..and the necessity. |
† b. Hence, to be to seek: to have to seek, to be obliged to seek, to be in want or at a loss. Obs.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 89 The complete measure of it..that such as are desirous of knowledge be not to seek in any one thing. 1625 Bacon Usury, Ess. (Arb.) 544 The Merchant wil be to seeke for Money. 1653 Holcroft Procopius i. 4 Being to seek his food he would hunt for it. 1654 Cromwell Sp. 12 Sept. (Carl. 1871) IV. 52 We were exceedingly to seek how to settle things. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. I. v. (1702) 454 They were very much to seek, how the Case of Hull could concern Descents and Purchases. 1832 Fair of May Fair III. ii. 278 It was excusable that a man having passed so large a portion of those sixty years in a compting house, could be somewhat to seek in the economy of his social system. |
c. with inf. pass.
| 1581 Fulke in Confer. iii. (1584) O iiij b, He him selfe being to iudge all men, is to bee iudged of no man. a 1674 Clarendon Hist. Reb. I. ii. 118 Being to be made Earl of Strafford. 1869 Freeman Norm. Conq. III. xii. 145 Normandy was to be invaded on each side. |
17. The same construction is used in the sense of ‘to be proper or fit (to).’ a. with inf. active. arch. and now commonly expressed by b.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 133 Hit is to witene. c 1340 Cursor M. (Fairf.) 12861 Wat is to do. 1340 Ayenb. 5 Þet is to zigge. c 1388 in Wyclif's Sel. Wks. 1871 III. 468 Hit ys not to gife dymes to a persoun. 1483 Caxton G. de la Tour E v, Suche.. wymmen be to compare to the wyf of Lothe. 1528 Perkins Prof. Bk. i. §36 (1642) 16 Now it is to shew. 1634 Malory's Arthur (1816) II. 308 The four..is to understand the four evangelists. Mod. Is this house to let? They are not to compare with these. |
b. with inf. pass.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handl. Synne 1545 Þey beþ to be blamede eft. 1588 J. Udall Demonstr. Discip. (Arb.) 54 If the whole..be to bee obserued vntill the ende. 1679 Penn Addr. Prot. ii. §2 (1692) 76 Not a Good Samaritan being to be found. 1798 Malthus Popul. (1817) II. 194 It must be to be depended upon. |
18. The past subjunctive were with the infinitive makes an emphatically hypothetical condition: cf. the degrees of uncertainty in If I went, If I should go, If I were to go.
| 1596 Raleigh in Four C. Eng. Lett. 37 If I weare..to advize my sealf. Mod. If I were to propose, would you accept? Were he to ask me, it would be different. |
V. Phraseological combinations.
19. In I were better (best, as good), the nominative pronoun took catachrestically the place of an earlier dative (me were better = it were better to or for me): modern usage substitutes had better, after the analogy of had liefer, rather, etc. Cf. have, lief, rather.
(See F. Hall, ‘Had Rather’ in Amer. Jnl. Philol. II, No. 7. 1881.)
| c 1300 St. Marg. 180 Þe were betere habbe [= it were better for thee to have] bileued atom, þan icome me to fonde. c 1430 Syr Tryam. 399 Sche wyste not whedur-warde..Sche was best to goone. c 1590 Marlowe Jew of M. iv. iv. 1653, I..told him he were best to send it. 1597 Lyly Wom. in Moone iii. ii. 185 Sirra, provide the banquet, you are best. 1610 Shakes. Temp. i. ii. 366 Be quicke thou'rt best. 1611 ― Cymb. iii. ii. 79 Madam, you're best consider. 1612 Chapman Widdowes' T. Plays 1873 III. 12 Y'are best take you to your stand. 1647 Ward Simp. Cobler 57 They were..better speake plainer English. 1703 Moxon Mech. Ex. 278 You were best to mark the lower Closier in each course. |
20. In clauses measuring time: as ‘he came here Monday was a week,’ i.e. he came here on the Monday a week before Monday last: the phrase became a mere adjective clause, whence arose remarkable constructions, as ‘on the evening of Saturday was sennight before the day fixed’ = on the evening of the Saturday a week earlier than the Saturday before the day fixed. Was is now generally omitted: I was in London Monday (was) three weeks.
| [1449 Paston Lett. 68 I. 85 And as God wuld, on Fryday last was, we had a gode wynd.] 1678 Gunpowder-Treas. 11 The Evening of the Saturday was Sennight before the appointed time. 1684 Baxter Twelve Argts. Post. M, I have been at no Church since August was Twelvemonth. 1691 Lond. Gaz. No. 2657/4 Edward Flower..went from his House about last Christmas was 4 years. 1725 Ibid. No. 6447/4 About two or three Days after Holy Rood Day last was Twelve Month. 1859 Geo. Eliot A. Bede 343 Did there come no young woman here..Friday was a fortnight? |
21. to be about to: see about A 11, 12.
22. what one would be at: what one aims at; what one means, wishes, or would have.
| 1705 Vanbrugh Confeder. i. i. (1759) II. 13 What wou'd he be at? At her—if she's at leisure. 1749 Fielding Tom Jones (1836) I. i. xi. 51 We cannot always discover what the young lady would be at. 1766 Goldsm. Vic. W. x. (1857) 58 That is very true but not what I would be at. 1848 Blackw. Mag. LXIV. 373 What would revolutionising Germany be at? |
23. to be for: † a. to be ready, prepared, or a match for a person (obs.); b. to be bound for, to be making for a place; c. to be ready to act for, to be on the side of, or in favour of, to advocate; d. to be anxious for, to desire, to want (dial.).
| a. 1622 Middleton, etc. Old Law iii. ii, My young boys, I shall be for you. 1631 Massinger Beleeve as you list iii. iii, His angrie forhead..No matter—I am for him. |
| b. 1630 Wadsworth Sp. Pilgr. ii. 6, I was for St. Sebastians, accompanied with one Mr. Pickford. Mod. ‘Where are you for to-day?’ |
| c. 1636 Healey Epictetus' Man. 147 Like unto beasts, they are all for the belly. 1692 Locke Toleration ii. Wks. 1727 II. 289 You cannot be..for a free and impartial Examination. 1799 T. Jefferson Writ. (1859) IV. 268, I am for free commerce with all nations. 1855 Macaulay Hist. Eng. IV. 511 He was for going straight into the harbour of Brest. 1878 R. B. Smith Carthage 219 Scipio..was for delay. |
24. Many parts of the verb and its tenses are used substantively, adjectively, or adverbially.
| a 1679 T. Goodwin Wks. (1864) VIII. 231 How slender these hopes..which these it may bes do afford. 1739 Chesterfield Lett. I. xxxv. 115 May be they were drunk. 1802 G. Colman Br. Grins, Reckoning with Time iii, List then, old Is-Was-and-To-Be. 1819 Byron Venice ii, The everlasting to be which hath been. 1837 Carlyle Fr. Rev. II. iv. ii. 189 He goes, as Rabelais did when dying, to seek a great May-be. Ibid. III. i. iv. 36 There is a need-be for removing. 1848 Clough Bothie iii. 159 He to the great might-have-been upsoaring..He to the merest it-was restricting, diminishing. 1852 Tupper Prov. Philos. 173 This would-be god Thinketh to make mind. |
▸ colloq. (orig. U.S.). to be there (also here) for: to be available to support or comfort (a person), esp. at a time of adversity; to offer one's time, attention, or company as a friend.
| 1936 R. Frost Further Range 282, I will be there for you, my dear. 1972J. Mitchell Woman of Heart & Mind (song) in Compl. Poems & Lyrics (1997) 105 You want stimulation—nothing more That's what I think But you know I'll try to be there for you When your spirits start to sink. 1987 Toronto Star 28 Nov. f1 He was always there for me. I've always relied on him for everything. 1991 S. Sondheim & J. Weidman Assassins 77 And mommy comes and holds me tight and says, ‘I've got you, Bubala. I'm here for you. Your daddy isn't, but I am.’ 1999 Guardian (Electronic ed.) 31 Mar. I love you very, very much and will always be here for you. |
▪ II. be
variant of bee n.
▪ III. be
obs. and dial. form of by prep.; see next.