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behave

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *h₁epider.
Proto-Indo-European *h₁pi
Proto-Germanic *bider.
Proto-Germanic *bi-
Proto-West Germanic *bi-
Proto-Indo-European *kap-der.
Proto-Germanic *habjaną
Proto-West Germanic *habbjan
Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan
Old English behabban
Middle English behaven
English behave

    From Middle English behaven, bihabben (“to restrain, behave”), from Old English behabban (“to surround, embrace, hold, contain, hold back, withhold, restrain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bihabbjan, equivalent to be- +‎ have. Cognate with Middle Low German behebben, behāven (“to receive, acquire, reach, keep”), Low German behebben (“to act, behave”), German behaben (“to behave”).

    Pronunciation

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