behight

The story

1. Old English · inherited frombehātan“to promise, vow, pledge oneself, threaten”
2. Middle English · inherited frombeheten
3. English todaybehight

From Middle English beheten, bihaten, behoten (preterite behighte), from Old English behātan (“to promise, vow, pledge oneself, threaten”) (preterite behēhte), corresponding to be- + hight. Cognate with Scots beheit, behecht (“to promise, vow”), Middle High German beheizen (“to promise”).