Where does “betake” come from?
Betake comes from Middle English betaken, meaning to commit or entrust oneself, though the ultimate origin remains uncertain.
betake (English): To take over to; take across (to); deliver
Definitions
- To take over to; take across (to); deliver
Ancestry of “betake”, step by step
betake traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English take
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | take | To get into one's hands, possession, or control,... |
| 2 | Middle English | taken | to take; Alternative form of token; Alternative... |
| 3 | Old English | tācen | — |
| 4 | Old Norse | tekinn | past participle of taka; take, took, taken |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tēkanaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tēkaną | to touch; to grasp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₁g- | to touch |
via Middle English betaken
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | betaken | — |