Old English · verb
befæstan
- Part of speech
- verb
- Verb class
- weak class 1
- IPA
- /beˈfæs.tɑn/
- Syllables
- be · ˈfæs · tɑn (3 syllables)
- Modern English
- befastutilizeestablishfastenkeepingapplycommendfix
Meaning
-
to fasten; fix; ground; establish; make safe; put in safe keeping
-
to apply; utilize; commend; entrust to
-
to commit
If thou have any good steward that can well hold that which thou gettest and committest unto him, show him to me; […]
late 9th century, King Alfred's translation of Saint Augustine's Soliloquies ...Gyf ðū ēnigne gōdne heorde hæbbe þe wel
Conjugation
| Present | Past | |
|---|---|---|
| Indicative | ||
| 1st singular | befæste | befæste |
| 2nd singular | befæstestbefæst | befæstest |
| 3rd singular | befæsteþbefæst | befæste |
| Plural | befæstaþ | befæston |
| Subjunctive | ||
| Singular | befæste | befæste |
| Plural | befæsten | befæsten |
| Form | |
|---|---|
| Infinitive | befæstan |
| Inflected infinitive | befæstenne |
| Imperative singular | befæst |
| Imperative plural | befæstaþ |
| Present participle | befæstende |
| Past participle | befæsted |
All forms (11)
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *bifastijan, equivalent to be- (“around”) + fæstan (“to secure, fasten”).
Descendants
befast
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/befæstan · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution