Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

behight

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: be-hight
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To vow, promise (someone).

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To be designated.

verb

To give in trust; to commit; to entrust.

Obsolete; Transitive verb

verb

To mean, or intend.

Obsolete

verb

To consider or esteem to be; to declare to be.

Obsolete

verb

To call; to name; to address.

Obsolete

verb

To command; to order.

Obsolete

noun

A vow; a promise.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"Thenne I behote yow sayd Balyn parte of his blood to hele youre sone with alle."
"Wheea behight thee? = What is your name/to whom do you belong?"
"The keys are to thy hand behight."
"More than heart behighteth."
"But nathelesse whilst all the lookers on / Him dead behight, as he to all appeard, / All vnawares he started vp anon,"
"Whom […] he knew and thus behight."

Etymology

From Middle English beheten, bihaten, behoten (preterite behighte), from Old English behātan (“to promise, vow, pledge oneself, threaten”) (preterite behēhte), corresponding to be- + hight. Cognate with Scots beheit, behecht (“to promise, vow”), Middle High German beheizen (“to promise”).

Origin

Source language: Middle English

Word Breakdown

Prefix: be
Root: beheten, behātan

Usage

Inflected Forms

behights (present, singular) behighting (participle, present) behighted (participle, past) behighted (past) behote (alternative) behights (plural)

Questions

What does behight mean?: To vow, promise (someone).
Where does behight come from?: It is traced to Middle English.

How to pronounce behight

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