bemean

bemean · verb¹

1. Middle English · inherited frombemenen
2. English todaybemean

From Middle English bemenen, equivalent to be- + mean (“to signify”). Compare Middle High German bemeinen (“to mean”).

bemean · verb²

1. Old English · derived fromġemǣne“mean, common, average”
2. Middle English · derived fromimene“average, lowly, mean”
3. Middle English · derived frommene
4. English todaybemean

From be- + mean (“base, lowly”), from Middle English mene, aphetic variation of Middle English imene (“average, lowly, mean”), from Old English ġemǣne (“mean, common, average”). More at mean.

Words from the same roots