English
bequeath
Bequeath comes from Middle English biquethen ‘to bequeath’, from Old English cweþan ‘to speak’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷet-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷet-‘to say, speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kweþaną‘to say’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kweþan‘to say, speak’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cweþan‘to speak’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150becweþan‘to say, to speak, to address, exhort, admonish, blame, bequeath, leave by will’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500biquethen‘to bequeath’
- Englishearliest quotation 1964bequeath
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*gʷet-‘to say, speak’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*kweþaną‘to say’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*kweþan‘to say, speak’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150cweþan‘to speak’
- Old English, derivedc. 450–1150becweþan‘to say, to speak, to address, exhort, admonish, blame, bequeath, leave by will’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500biquethen‘to bequeath’
- Englishearliest quotation 1964bequeath
Earliest quotation: 1964, News and Comment: Minister hamstrings BR workshops: “Ownership of manufacturing workshops is not essential to that…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *gʷet- ‘to say, speak’
pudding, bowel, quid, bitumen, botulism, cud, botulinum, quoth, 14 more
Today it means
verb To give or leave by will; to give by testament.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *gʷet- / bequeath