belive

belive · verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*leyp-“to stick, glue”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*bi-
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*bilībaną“to remain”
4. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*bilīban
5. Old English · inherited frombelīfan“to remain”
6. Middle English · inherited frombeliven
7. English todaybelive

From Middle English beliven, from Old English belīfan (“to remain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bilīban, from Proto-Germanic *bilībaną (“to remain”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- + Proto-Indo-European *leyp- (“to stick, glue”). Cognate with West Frisian bliuwe (“to stay”), Dutch blijven (“to remain”), German bleiben (“to remain”), Danish blive (“to be, remain”). More at leave.

belive · adverb²

1. Middle English · inherited frombilive“actively, vigorously, eagerly, gladly, quickly, at once”
2. English todaybelive

From Middle English bilive (“actively, vigorously, eagerly, gladly, quickly, at once”), with syncopated alternative form blive. The adverb is from a contraction of by /bi + live (dative form of lyf, "life"), literally, "by life".

Words from the same roots