beatan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bautan, from Proto-Germanic *bautaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbæ͜ɑː.tɑn/

Verb

bēatan

1. to beat
   • 10th century, The Seafarer:

     Stormas þǣr stānclifu bēotan, þǣr him stearn oncwæð īsiġfeþera; ful oft þæt earn biġeal, ūriġfeþra; nǣniġ hlēomǣga fēasċeaftiġ ferð fēran meahte.

     Storms there beat stone-cliffs, where an icy-feathered bird answered 'em; that wet-feathered eagle yelled full oft; no wretched soul of shelter-kinsmen could go forth.

2. to hit, strike
3. to box

Conjugation

Conjugation of bēatan (strong, class VII)

infinitive	bēatan	bēatenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	bēate	bēot, beoft
second person singular	bīetst	bēote, beofte
third person singular	bīett, bīet	bēot, beoft
plural	bēataþ	bēoton, beofton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	bēate	bēote, beofte
plural	bēaten	bēoten, beoften
imperative
singular	bēat
plural	bēataþ
participle	present	past
	bēatende	(ġe)bēaten

Descendants

• Middle English: beten, beete, bet, bete, betyn, beytt, beaten (Early Middle English), byete (Kent)
  • English: beat
    • → Pennsylvania German: biede
  • Middle Scots: beit, bete
    • Scots: beat, beit
    • → Scots: beff, beft