Source etymology 1
Original entry ↗The act of begging; an imploring request. · A pretentious, attention-seeking, or eccentric person.
To request the help of someone, often in the form of money. · To plead with someone for help, a favor, etc.; to entreat. · To unwillingly provoke a negative, often violent, reaction. · To obviously lack or be in need of something.
Inherited from Middle English beggen, of uncertain origin. Possibly from Old English *becgian, *bedcian, syncopated forms of bedecian (“to beg”), itself of obscure origin. Possibly from Proto-West Germanic *bedukōn, a frequentative verb derived from Proto-West Germanic *bedu (“plea, petition, prayer”, whence English bead). Alternatively from Proto-West Germanic *bedagō (“petitioner, requester, beggar”), an agent noun from the same source. Compare North Frisian bēdagi (“to pray”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰 (bidagwa, “beggar”). All ultimately from the root of English bid, which see for more. An alternative theory considers the verb a backformation from beggar and derives the latter from Old French begart (“kind of lay brother”).
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
This page abbreviates 3 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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"expansion": "Middle English beggen"
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"3": "beggen"
},
"expansion": "Inherited from Middle English beggen"
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"3": "",
"4": "*becgian, *bedcian"
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"expansion": "Old English *becgian, *bedcian"
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},
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"name": "der",
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"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *bedu"
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"t": "to pray"
},
"expansion": "North Frisian bēdagi (“to pray”)"
},
{
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"2": "𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰",
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"expansion": "Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰 (bidagwa, “beggar”)"
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"links": [
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"beggen",
"beggen#Middle_English"
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[
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[
"*bedukōn",
"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bedukōn"
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[
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"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bedu"
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[
"bead",
"bead#English"
],
[
"*bedagō",
"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bedagō"
],
[
"bēdagi",
"bēdagi#North_Frisian"
],
[
"𐌱𐌹𐌳𐌰𐌲𐍅𐌰",
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],
[
"bid",
"bid#English"
],
[
"beggar",
"beggar#English"
],
[
"begart",
"begart#Old_French"
]
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"The act of begging; an imploring request.",
"A pretentious, attention-seeking, or eccentric person."
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"To request the help of someone, often in the form of money.",
"To plead with someone for help, a favor, etc.; to entreat.",
"To unwillingly provoke a negative, often violent, reaction.",
"To obviously lack or be in need of something."
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