Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “befang” come from?

befang (English) comes from Middle English befon, from Old English befōn, from Old English be-, from Old English hrōpan, from Proto-West Germanic hrōpan, from Proto-Germanic hrōpaną, from Proto-Indo-European ḱer-, from Proto-Indo-European kr̥- — army.

befang (English): To lay hold on; seize; grasp; catch; clutch; To...

Definitions

  1. To lay hold on; seize; grasp; catch; clutch; To...

Ancestry of “befang”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbefon—
2Old Englishbefōnto surround, clasp, include, envelop, encase,...
3Old Englishbe-a productive prefix usually used to form verbs...
4Old Englishhrōpanto shout, proclaim; cry out, scream, howl; to cry...
5Proto-West Germanichrōpanto cry out, to call, to shout
6Proto-Germanichrōpanąto cry out, call, shout
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
9Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker- →