▪ I. bove, adv. and prep.
Forms: 1 be-ufan, 1–2 bufan, bufon, 2–3 bufen, buuen, buven, buve, 3–4 boven, bove.
[ME. bove(n, earlier buven, bufen:—OE. bufan, earlier be-ufan, a West Ger. compound (OS. bi-oƀan, Du. boven), f. bi-, by, beside + ufan (OS. oƀan, OHG. oban, obana), OTeut. *ufana, uƀana from above, above, f. uf up + -ana suffix orig. expressing motion from.]
† 1. (In OE. and early ME.) The earlier and simpler form of above. Obs.
The compound a-bufan appeared in the 12th c. in the north and n.e. as an adverbial form; by the end of 13th c. abuven was also prepositional, and generally used instead of buven, buve; and in 14th c. bove became obsolete. The following examples show the forms; the development of meaning will be found under above.
| a 940 Laws of æthelstan iv. 4 (Bosw.) Swa we her beufan cwædon. c 1000 ælfric Manual of Astron. 1 Eall swa deop under þyssre eorðan, swa heo is bufan. 1205 Lay. 26564 And smat hine buuen þan scelde. c 1315 Shoreham 117 Al that hys bove and under molde. ? c 1390 Forme of Cury (ed. Pegge) 75 Plant it boue with prunes and damysyns. |
2. In modern English 'bove, bove, is an occasional shortening of above, in verse.
| 1591 Spenser Ruines of Time 110 Lifting up her brave heroick thought Bove womens weaknes. 1610 Shakes. Temp. ii. i. 118 'Boue the contentious waues. c 1630 Drummond Poems Wks. (1711) 37 'Bove other far esteem'd. 1886 Plumptre Dante, Hell i. 13 But when I reached a point 'bove which did tower A mount. |
▪ II. bove
see bus v. = behoves.