eldertongue

Old English · verb

bifian

Part of speech
verb
Verb class
weak class 2
IPA
/ˈbi.fi.ɑn/
[ˈbi.vi.ɑn]
Syllables
ˈbi · fi · ɑn (3 syllables)
Modern English
beverbibbertrembleshake

Meaning

  1. to tremble, shake

    Hēo fēoll bifiġendu tō þæs Hǣlendes fōtum.

    She fell trembling at Jesus' feet.

    c. 992, Ælfric, "Likewise of Saint Peter"

Conjugation

Conjugation of bifian
PresentPast
Indicative
1st singular bifiġebifode
2nd singular bifastbifodest
3rd singular bifaþbifode
Plural bifiaþbifodon
Subjunctive
Singular bifiġebifode
Plural bifiġenbifoden
Non-finite forms of bifian
Form
Infinitive bifian
Inflected infinitive bifienne
Imperative singular bifa
Imperative plural bifiaþ
Present participle bifiende
Past participle bifodġebifod

All forms (15)

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bibēn.

Descendants

bever, bibber

Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bifian · CC BY-SA 4.0 licence · Attribution