belave

belave · verb¹

1. Middle English · inherited frombilaven“to wash all over”
2. English todaybelave

From Middle English bilaven (“to wash all over”), from bi-, be- + laven (“to wash, pour water on”), equivalent to be- + lave.

belave · verb²

1. Proto-Germanic · derived from*bilībaną“to remain”
2. Old English · derived frombelīfan“to remain”
3. Middle English · derived frombeliven“to remain”
4. English todaybelave

Anomalous alteration of beleve (“to remain, be alive”) and belive (“to remain, stay”), both from Middle English beliven (“to remain”), from Old English belīfan (“to remain”), from Proto-Germanic *bilībaną (“to remain”). More at belive, leave.

Words from the same roots