Where does “belike” come from?
Belike comes from Middle English be- prefixed to Old English lician, itself from Old English bī meaning "by" and Proto-Indo-European h₁epi meaning "near," combined with Proto-Indo-European ḱóm meaning "together" and key- meaning "to like or desire."
belike (English): To make like; simulate; To be like; resemble; To...
Definitions
- To make like; simulate; To be like; resemble; To...
Ancestry of “belike”, step by step
belike traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English like
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | like | To enjoy, be pleased by; favor; be in favor of;... |
| 2 | Dutch | luik | hatch; shutter; panel, as in a triptych |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | luke | — |
| 4 | Dutch | luiken | to close, to shut |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | luken | to close, to shut; to close, to become closed |
| 6 | Old Dutch | lūcan | to close, shut |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | lūkan | to close, to shut |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | lūkaną | to close, to shut; Alternative form of *leukaną |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | lewǵ- | to break, tear; to break, shatter |
via Middle English beliken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | beliken | to simulate, feign |