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belave love

belave

Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To lave about; wash all over; wash.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb archaic, intransitive to remain, continue; to belay
  • verb archaic, intransitive to be alive
  • verb transitive To lave or wash about; wash all over; wash.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English bilaven ("to wash all over"), from bi-, be- + laven ("to wash, pour water on"), from Old English lafian, ġelafian ("to pour water on, refresh"), from Proto-Germanic *labōnan (“to refresh, strengthen”), from Proto-Indo-European *lōbh- (“to strengthen oneself, rest”), equivalent to be- +‎ lave. Cogante with Dutch laven ("to refresh"), German laben ("to refresh"). More at lave.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Anomalous alteration of beleve ("to remain, be alive") and belive ("to remain, stay"), both from Middle English beliven ("to remain"), from Old English belīfan ("to remain"), from Proto-Germanic *bilībanan (“to remain”), from Proto-Indo-European *lip- (“to stick, glue”). Cognate with Dutch blijven ("to remain"), German bleiben ("to remain"). More at belive, leave.

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Examples

  • Be vacillant over those vigilant who would leave you to belave black on white.

    Finnegans Wake 2006

  • If Jan Ridd say it be true, I will try almost to belave it.

    Lorna Doone Richard Doddridge 2004

  • I belave it's quite something loike to be able to sleep with engines tootin 'and blowin' off steam, and bells a-ringin ', and cars a-bumpin'.

    The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys Gulielma Zollinger

  • The widow glanced at the lit-up countenance and eager eyes of her third son, and, loth to rouse hopes that might later have to be dashed down, observed, "Thim colleges are ixpinsive, I belave."

    The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys Gulielma Zollinger

  • "The days is long, and I belave, Moike, you could do something else than our own housework, with Andy here to look after the little b'ys."

    The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys Gulielma Zollinger

  • I belave there'll be always something for my b'ys to do, because my b'ys will _work_.

    The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys Gulielma Zollinger

  • Well, I belave that room will jist about hold three beds an 'lave a nate little path betwane ivery two of' em.

    The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys Gulielma Zollinger

  • But I belave that where they've come wanst, they're loikely to be comin 'again, if them that's permoted lives up to their chances.

    The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys Gulielma Zollinger

  • MR. DOOLAN -- "Oi belave it will give ye more ov an oidea wot sort ov a woman me woife is."

    More Toasts Marion Dix [Editor] Mosher

  • If you could get a riference, I belave they calls it, from the Gineral, for we're mostly strangers yet.

    The Widow O'Callaghan's Boys Gulielma Zollinger

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