English
believe
Believe comes from Old English belīefan ‘to believe’, from Proto-West Germanic *laubijan ‘to allow’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ‘to desire, covet’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewbʰ-‘to desire’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laubō‘permission’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laubijaną‘to allow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laubijan‘to allow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*bilaubijan‘to believe’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150belīefan‘to believe’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500beleven
- Englishearliest quotation 1604believe
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewbʰ-‘to desire’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laubō‘permission’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*laubijaną‘to allow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*laubijan‘to allow’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanic, derivedc. 200–500 CE*bilaubijan‘to believe’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150belīefan‘to believe’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500beleven
- Englishearliest quotation 1604believe
Earliest quotation: 1604, Jeremy Corderoy, A Short Dialogve: “[N]ow ſuch a liue vngodly, vvithout a care of…”
Formed from be- + leave ‘to give leave or permission to, permit, allow,…’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi ‘at, near’
Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi
Proto-Germanic *bi ‘near, by’
Proto-Germanic *bi-
Proto-West Germanic *bi-
English be-
Proto-Indo-European *leyp- ‘to stick’
…
Proto-Germanic *laibijaną ‘to let stay’
Proto-West Germanic *laibijan ‘to leave behind’
Old English lǣfan ‘to leave’
Middle English leven ‘to leave’
English leave
The story
A related term in Old English was ġelīefan (‘to be dear to; believe, trust’), from Proto-West Germanic *galaubijan (‘to have faith, believe’), from Proto-Germanic *galaubijaną. Related also to North Frisian leauwjen (‘to believe’), Saterland Frisian leeuwe (‘to believe’), West Frisian leauwe (‘to believe’), Dutch geloven (‘to believe’), German Low German glöven (‘to believe’), German glauben (‘to believe’), Gothic 𐌲𐌰𐌻𐌰𐌿𐌱𐌾𐌰𐌽 (galaubjan, “to hold dear, valuable, or satisfactory, approve of, believe”). The prepositionally transitive senses with in are a semantic loan from Latin crēdō in aliquem / aliquid.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- ‘to desire, covet’
left, love, library, leaf, lodge, lobby, loft, lib, lob, libido, libel, libretto, liber, luft, lief, 18 more
through Proto-West Germanic *laubijan ‘to allow’
Today it means
verb To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing).
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewbʰ- / believe