bireven

bireven

Middle English

Alternative forms

• biræivie, birævien, be-reve, bereve, byreeve, be-refe

Etymology

From Old English berēafian, from Proto-Germanic *biraubōną; equivalent to bi- +‎ reven.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biˈrɛːvən/, /bəˈrɛːvən/, /bɛˈrɛːvən/

Verb

bireven

1. To cause someone to lose something:
   1. To steal, or rob; to secretly loot.
   2. To grab, grasp, or confiscate with force.
   3. To cause someone to loose an abstract concept or idea.
2. To kill; to murder or end the life of.

Conjugation

Conjugation of bireven

infinitive	(to) bireven
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	bireve	bireved, biraft
2nd person singular	birevest	bireved, biraft, *biraftest
3rd person singular	bireveþ, bireveth	bireved, biraft
plural	bireven	*bireveden, *biraften
subjunctive	present	past
singular	bireve	bireved, biraft
plural	bireven	*bireveden, *biraften
imperative	present
singular	bireve
plural	bireveþ, bireveth
participle	present	past
	birevende, birevinge	bireved, biraft

Descendants

• English: bereave
• Scots: bereve, bereif

References

• “birēven (v.)” in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-06-17.