belie

belie · verb¹

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*biligjaną“to lie around”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*biliggjan
3. Old English · inherited frombeliċġan
4. Middle English · inherited frombelyen
5. English todaybelie

From Middle English belyen, beliggen, from Old English beliċġan, biliċġan (“to lie around, surround, hedge in, encompass”), from Proto-West Germanic *biliggjan, from Proto-Germanic *biligjaną (“to lie around”). Equivalent to be- (“around, by”) + lie (“to be positioned”).

belie · verb²

1. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*bileugan“to belie”
2. Old English · inherited frombelēogan“to deceive by lying, be mistaken”
3. Middle English · inherited frombelyen
4. English todaybelie

From Middle English belyen, beleoȝen, from Old English belēogan (“to deceive by lying, be mistaken”), from Proto-West Germanic *bileugan (“to belie”). Equivalent to be- (“about”) + lie (“to deceive”). Compare Dutch beliegen (“to lie about, tell lies”), German belügen (“to lie to someone”).

First known use, by meaning

• from 13th c. To tell lies about.
• from 17th c. To give a false representation of.
• from 17th c. To contradict, to show (something) to be false.
• from 17th c. To call a liar; to accuse of falsehood.