Word of the sennight for this week (13-19.05.

2012) is: BEDuring the absent week of the day of the sennight something quite singular was being ywrought for mine hearty audience, that hath lately been begetting a great deal of controversies amongst writers. Regretfully, not een onewhere did I manage to find an elongatd elucidation about the matter in hand betwixt the internet sites, its fructifying avail notwithstanding. In consequence of the besought and benothingd nought tis with beblithening ardour that I harbinger the verity wherein I shall be bedinnering your apetite with the prefix be- perchance with the most detaild anatomisation one mote ever come cross. Alas, be- as a prefix is more complicated than most other prefixes, sith it hath multiple definitions. Whereas the other prefixes can be defined with a few words, be- requireth substantial exposition. Although th explanation needs thwarteth swift comprehendment, I shall be endeavouring to simplify it as widely as possible in order for one to be efficiently edified. Fear not, for aught excessive shall be belimbd unto simplicity. ________________________________________ ETYMOLOGY OF BE-: First appearance: in Early Old English from Latin - (Greek amphi) ; -ambi (Latin) : denoting both; on both sides, round, round about - bi (in Early Old English ) denoting by evolved to be- (in later Old English) denoting on all sides, about The original sense naturally drifted into intensifying prefix (e.g. bespatter spatter about, therefore spatter very much). The prefix was productive in the 16th-17th century in forming useful words, many of which have not survived.

________________________________________ ALL THE EXISTENT SENSES OF BE- : Attention: th exemplified verbs are only the chosen ones yours truly decidd to gather together. THERE ARE numerless MORE variations TO COME BY.

________________________________________ [ transitive ] ( archaic or rare ) forming derivative verbs, with the sense of around all around externally, on all sides, all over the surface BESEEK / BrE bsik ; NAmE bsik / verb ( nonce-word ) to seek or search about These people have all besought the town, and they report its accomodations all engaged. BESET / BrE bset ; NAmE bset / verb * BESMEAR / BrE bsm(r) ; NAmE bsmr / verb

 to smear over or about That face of his was besmeared as black as vulcan in the smoke of war. ( literal ) So that they be not besmeared with any blame. ( figurative ) BESTAND / BrE bstnd; NAmE bstnd / verb * ------------------------------------- from side to side (within a space), to and fro, in all directions/ways, in all through all its parts, thoroughly ( based on bestir ) BEBUSS / BrE bbs ; NAmE bbs / verb to kiss all over, to cover with kisses Queen Dido shall smackly bebuss thee. BECLASP / BrE bclsp ; NAmE bclsp / verb to hold around tightly He beclapseth it with his tail and giveth it fearful blows. BEPURPLE / BrE bpp()l ; NAmE bprp()l / verb to cover all over in purple colour Mossy banks and flower-bepurpled plains. Thus they fought two hours and more, till the ground where they fought was all bepurpled with blood. BESHACKLE / BrE bk()l ; NAmE bk()l / verb to shackle all over Who this king should be, beshackled their wits. ________________________________________ [ transitive ] ( literary ) ( used as intensifier) forming intensive verbs with the sense of thoroughly, soundly, much, conspicuously, to excess, ridiculously < ADDENDUM: > Some of these occur almost only in the past participle. BEBOTHER / BrE bb(r) ; NAmE bbr / verb to bring trouble upon Seventy miles distant a long way in this bebothered state. Confusticate and bebother these dwarves! he said aloud. BESLAP / BrE bslp ; NAmE bslp / verb to slap soundly The first of these was this KarlPhilips father, son of the Beslapped. BESNOWBALL / BrE bsnbl ; bsnobl NAmE / verb to pelt as if with snowballs Twere a good deed, to besnowball him with rotten eggs. BEWASTED / BrE bwestd ; NAmE bwestd / adjective wasted away My time-bewasted light shall be extinct with age. ________________________________________ [ transitive ] ( old use ) forming derivative verbs with privative meaning, chiefly off, away, based on the fairly common bereave ,as in: < ADDENDUM: > A very common use in Old English and Middle English, but no longer in living use in forming new derivatives.

BELAND / BrE blnd ; NAmE blnd/ verb ( obsolete ) to deprived of land We must beland the enemy lest they vanquish our land. BESHORN / BrE bn ; NAmE brn / adjective ( rare ) to be deprived of something, used only figuratively And the first 'when' was when you were beshorn of your totemic Sea- Weed by a mechanical doll. O, doth a bird beshorn of wings Go earth-bound wilfully! BENIM / BrE bnm; NAmE bnm / verb ( obsolete ) to take away (literal sense); to deprive or bereave (figurative sense) Thou benimest the angels in heaven from their joy. These may benim thy sovereign from many nights rest. * ________________________________________ [ transitive ] ( archaic ) making verbs transitive by adding a prepositional relation: about, against at, for, to, on, upon, over, in contact with something BECHIRP / BrE btp ; NAmE btrp / verb to chirp about Met I with a merry maid in the merry month of May, When a sweet love sings his lovely lay, And every bird upon the bush bechirps it up so gay. BESHIT, BESHITE / BrE bt , bat; NAmE bt , bat / verb < ADDENDUM: > Obsolete in polite use, but common in Middle English and Early Modern English literature. to drop excrement upon, to bespatter with exrement Flies which would beshite the deity. beshitten and bemired foul BESTARE / BrE bste(r) ; NAmE bster / verb to stare at That hobgoblin tapestry which used to bestare the walls of our ancestors. BETRAVEL / BrE btrv()l ; NAmE btrv()l / verb to travel over, to overrun with travellers Five-and-thirty years of peace so betravelled the world. BEWHISPER / BrE bwsp(r) ; NAmE bwspr / verb ( rare ) to whisper to While self bewhispers us, that it stands us all in hand to be forgiven as well as to forgive. ________________________________________ [ transitive ] ( literary or humorous ) forming transitive verbs on adjectives and substantives; to make: as befoul to make foul, to surround or affect with foulness < ADDENDUM: > In modern use nearly all of them are tinged with ridicule or contempt. formed with adjective BEFOUL / BrE bfal ; NAmE bfal / verb to make foul, cover with filth or dirt, often with moral filth

 He experienced the gall of bitter suffering under a brutal prison regime but did not let spiritual bitterness befoul his soul. Tis an ill bird that befouls his own nest. (= a condemnation of a person who vilifies his own family, country, etc. ( ScotE ) ) BEGAY / BrE; bge ; NAmE bge / verb to make gay, happy Beauteous things begay the simple fields. BEGREY / BrE bgre; NAmE bgre / verb to make grey Age begreyeth our head. ------------------------------------- formed with noun BECOWARD / BrE bkad; NAmE bkard / verb to make someone/oneself look coward A lot of fellows so becowarded by their stay on shore. BECLOWN / BrE bklan ; NAmE bklan / verb to make a complete idiot of someone/oneself, to behave or speak in such a way Who would be thus beclownd? It should be followed by how that is proven lest you beclown yourself. BEKING / BrE bk; NAmE bk / verb to make king He would do anything to be bekingd. -------------------------------------C to dub with the title of; often with a depreciatory or contemptuous force BELOUT / BrE blat ; NAmE blat / verb to address or speak of something/someone with contemptuous language; to call someone a lout He rated and belouted his cook. BEMONSTER / BrE bmnst(r) ; NAmE bmnstr / verb to make monstrous or hideous; to regard or treat as a monster Bemonster not thy feature. BERASCAL / BrE brskl ; NAmE brskl / verb to dub with the title of; to call She beknaved, berascalld, berouged the unhappy hero. ________________________________________ [ transitive ] ( rare or nonce-use ) forming transitive verb on noun used in an assisting relation to surround, cover, or bedaub with, as in: BEDEW / BrE bdju ; NAmE bdju / verb * BEGLOOM / BrE bglum ; NAmE bglum / verb to give gloomy tinge to A square begloomed by dark-coloured painted windows. BESUGAR / BrE bg(r) ; NAmE bgr / verb to sweeten with sugar or something that is figuratively sweet But it must be remembered that he has never tried to besugar adultery, to make it attractive. -------------------------------------B to affect with in any way BEDAWN/BEDAY / BrE bdn , bde ; NAmE bdn , bde / verb to overtake with dawn or daylight He exclaimed, with visible apprehension of being bedawned, Mithinks I smell the morning air.

 My spirit is the shadow of thy word, thy candle sun-bedayed! BEDINNER / BrE bdn(r) ; NAmE bdnr / verb ( nonce-word ) to treat with a dinner, to give a dinner to Can he do nothing but lionise him and bedinner him, then whistle him down the wind, to desperation and bitter death? BENOTHING / BrE btsk ; NAmE btsk / verb to reduce to nothing, annihilate I had both lost and benothingd myself Suppose this world to be benothingd, and another to be made. BETASK / BrE btsk ; NAmE btsk / verb to charge with a task The nymph would have betasked me like a very slave. -------------------------------------C ( old use ) an ancient application, no longer in living use, was to express the sense of bereave of, as in: BEHEAD / BrE bhed ; NAmE bhed / verb to deprive a man or an animal or a topmost part of something of the head/its topmost part; to kill by cutting of the head To be all-to-bebatted and afterward to be beheaded. Take him away and behead him. BELIMB / BrE blm; NAmE blm / verb to cut off a limb or limbs or to dismember; to disfigure His face was belimbed as bees had him stung. BESLEEVE / BrE bhed ; NAmE bhed / verb ( obsolete , nonce-word ) to take the sleeves from a beshop Am I not old Ille ego qui quodam (= I am he who once) at ye besleeving of a sychophant? ________________________________________ ( archaic or informal ) forming participial adjectives in the notion of covered, adorned or furnished with, usually in a conspicuous, ostentatious, unnecessary or overdone way, often expressing depreciation, ridicule or raillery BEFEATHERED / BrE bfe(r) ; NAmE bfer / adjective to be covered with feather Surveying round her dove-befeatherd prison. BERINGED / BrE brd NAmE brd / adjective to be attired with a ring or rings A Frenchman whose beringed fingers and bejewelled scarf betokened a certain amount of pecuniosity. BESWORDED / BrE bsd, bsd ; bsrd NAmE / adjective to be equipped with a sword He was glamorous in his dress and romantic in appearance, a gallant, fiery, besworded figure on his charger. ________________________________________

________________________________________ DETAILD DEFINITIONS:

The below-listd are elaboratd in detail for the sake of perspicuousness, lest they encroach upon the abovewritten glossary spoiling its neat adjustment.

* BESET ( past tense and past participle: beset ) [ transitive, usually passive ] ________________________________________ ( archaic ) to set a thing about or with accessories or appendages of any kind, especially with jewels A diadem or tiara beset with pearls. I made orchars and gardens and beset them with all kind of trees. ________________________________________ ( former or literary ) to set or station themselves round, to surround with hostile intent A to trouble persistently on all sides either physically or by words I drew to defend him when he was beset. The Erinnyes whose business it is to beset the house of evil-doer. -------------------------------------B ( formerly said of an army besieging a town ) to invest or surround a place synonym: besiege They went and beset the town by night. The admiral had beset the bridge with strength and cunning stratagem. -------------------------------------C to occupy a road, gate or passage, especially so as to prevent any one from passing All the ways were beset with garrisons of enemies. Morton in the same time beset al passages of access. ________________________________________ ( formal ) to encompass, surround or affect in an unpleasant or harmful way A said of temptations, dangers, difficulties, obbsticles or evil influences The hopelessness which graduall besets all people in a great town like London. Let us lay aside the sinwhich doth so easily beset us. -------------------------------------B said of the difficulties, perils, obsticles which beset an action, work or course The tail is beset with contradictions. The task was beset with considerable difficulties -------------------------------------C ( rare ) said of actual enemies forming schemes against someones life or property Our lives and estates are beset here.

 to close round; to surround synonym: hem in Foggy clouds which do beset the clear sky. Within thy circling arms I lie beset on every side.

* BESTAND pronunciation: / bstnd / ________________________________________ ( archaic or obsolete ) to stand round in hostility; to beset sorely; to harass That is my lord and uncle King Arthur, for he is full straitly bestood with a false traitor, which is my half brother Sir Mordred. ________________________________________ ( obsolete ) to surround or encompass as a wall or water, etc. The British bishops, bestood with weapons and enemies,... ________________________________________ ( in modern use ) to serve; be of service to; be ready to serve or aid. ... which bestood him well under the ceremonials of his mission. But now the sun that once bestood a sunshine doesn't care what we once had.

* NIM pronunciation: / nm / ( past tense: nam / nm /or nimmed / nmd / ( past participle: nomen / BrE nmn ; NAmE nomn /or num / nm / or nimmed / nmd / ) < ADDENDUM: > In most of its applications nim corresponds to various senses of the later (Scandinavian) take, and remained in common use down to the 15th century. During the 16th c. there are few traces of it, but quickly after 1600 it reappears with weak past tense/participle as a slang or colloquial word in the sense of to steal, and is very common in this use throughout the 17th century. ________________________________________ [ transitive ] ( obsolete ) to take; to seize Maxwell nam the gayest ways onto the Southron. Which prophesy shall be done when I have nomen my realm. ________________________________________ [ intransitive ] ( very obsolete ) to betake oneself; to go The forestar that with serein came rose early, and to her chamber nam.

 Out of her sight away he nam. ________________________________________ [ transitive, intransitive ] ( archaic ) to steal, to pilfer, to thieve As I led him to his chamber, I nimmed his chain and drew his purse. Hircius, thou hast nummd, not so much money is left as will buy a louse.

* BEDEW pronunciation: / bdm / [ transitive ] ________________________________________ ( formal or literary ) to perfuse with moisture Tears bedewed her cheeks. While the warm blood bedews my veins. That Herod had well bedewd himself with wine. ________________________________________ ( literary ) (of the eyesight) to perfuse with any influence figured as like dew in its operation So did the Apostles bedew the souls of believers with the word of godliness. I shall arouse and bedew her body with ardent desires.

________________________________________ ________________________________________ Should you have any enquiries, requests and whatnot, do feel free to ask away. If you prefer this new journal look to the whilom ones, please let me know. Warm regards, Tom