*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of belie

From Middle English belyen, beliggen, from Old English beliċġan, biliċġan (“to lie around, surround, hedge in, encompass”), from Proto-West Germanic *biliggjan, from Proto-Germanic *biligjaną (“to lie around”). Equivalen

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To lie around; encompass. · To surround; beleaguer.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English belyen, beliggen, from Old English beliċġan, biliċġan (“to lie around, surround, hedge in, encompass”), from Proto-West Germanic *biliggjan, from Proto-Germanic *biligjaną (“to lie around”). Equivalent to be- (“around, by”) + lie (“to be positioned”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "belyen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English belyen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "beliċġan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English beliċġan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*biliggjan"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *biliggjan"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*biligjaną",
        "t": "to lie around"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *biligjaną (“to lie around”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "pre",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "lie",
        "t1": "around, by",
        "t2": "to be positioned"
      },
      "expansion": "be- (“around, by”) + lie (“to be positioned”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "belyen",
      "belyen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "beliggen",
      "beliggen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "beliċġan",
      "belicgan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "biliċġan",
      "bilicgan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*biliggjan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/biliggjan"
    ],
    [
      "*biligjaną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/biligjaną"
    ],
    [
      "be-",
      "be-#English"
    ],
    [
      "lie",
      "lie#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To lie around; encompass.",
        "To surround; beleaguer."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "transitive",
        "obsolete"
      ],
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      "rawRecordSha256": "98650577b332217d30b15bcc8de97e107fc38f3f295c5bb762e8993f3da68689",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 272912
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  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To tell lies about. · To give a false representation of. · To contradict, to show (something) to be false. · To call a liar; to accuse of falsehood.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English belyen, beleoȝen, from Old English belēogan (“to deceive by lying, be mistaken”), from Proto-West Germanic *bileugan (“to belie”). Equivalent to be- (“about”) + lie (“to deceive”). Compare Dutch beliegen (“to lie about, tell lies”), German belügen (“to lie to someone”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionbelyenenm
  • Inherited-form mentionbelēoganang · to deceive by lying, be mistaken
  • Inherited-form mention*bileugangmw-pro · to belie
  • Cognate mentionbeliegennl · to lie about, tell lies
  • Cognate mentionbelügende · to lie to someone

This page abbreviates 4 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.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "belyen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English belyen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "belēogan",
        "t": "to deceive by lying, be mistaken"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English belēogan (“to deceive by lying, be mistaken”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*bileugan",
        "t": "to belie"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *bileugan (“to belie”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "prefix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "lie",
        "t1": "about",
        "t2": "to deceive"
      },
      "expansion": "be- (“about”) + lie (“to deceive”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "beliegen",
        "t": "to lie about, tell lies"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch beliegen (“to lie about, tell lies”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "belügen",
        "t": "to lie to someone"
      },
      "expansion": "German belügen (“to lie to someone”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "belyen",
      "belyen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "beleoȝen",
      "beleoȝen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "belēogan",
      "beleogan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*bileugan",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bileugan"
    ],
    [
      "be-",
      "be-#English"
    ],
    [
      "lie",
      "lie#English"
    ],
    [
      "beliegen",
      "beliegen#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "belügen",
      "belügen#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To tell lies about.",
        "To give a false representation of.",
        "To contradict, to show (something) to be false.",
        "To call a liar; to accuse of falsehood."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "transitive",
        "rare"
      ],
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  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for belie →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YmVsaWU