Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “behoof” come from?

Behoof comes from Middle English behoof, from Old English behōf, from Proto-Germanic bihōfą, from Proto-Indo-European keh₂p-.

behoof (English): That which is advantageous to a person; behalf,...

Definitions

  1. That which is advantageous to a person; behalf,...

Ancestry of “behoof”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishbehoof—
2Old Englishbehōfadvantage, behoof, profit; need
3Proto-West Germanic*bihōf—
Every word from Proto-West Germanic *bihōf →