bireven

Middle English

Alternative forms

• biræivie,birævien,be-reve,bereve,byreeve,be-refe

Etymology

FromOld Englishberēafian,fromProto-Germanic*biraubōną;equivalent tobi-+‎reven.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):/biˈrɛːvən/,/bɛˈrɛːvən/

Verb

bireven

1. To cause someone to lose something:
   1. Tosteal,orrob;to secretly loot.
   2. Tograb,grasp,orconfiscatewith force.
   3. To cause someone to loose an abstract concept or idea.
2. To kill; to murder or end the life of.

Conjugation

Conjugation ofbireven(weak in -ed/-te)

infinitive	(to)bireven,bireve
	present tense	past tense
1st-personsingular	bireve	bireved,birefte
2nd-personsingular	birevest	birevedest,bireftest
3rd-personsingular	bireveth	bireved,birefte
subjunctivesingular	bireve
imperativesingular		—
plural1	bireven,bireve	bireveden,birevede,bireften,birefte
imperativeplural	bireveth,bireve	—
participles	birevynge,birevende	bireved,bireft

¹Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

• English:bereave
• Scots:bereve,bereif

References

• “birēven,v.”,inMED Online,Ann Arbor, Mich.:University of Michigan,2007,retrieved2018-06-17.