"bethink" meaning in English

See bethink in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

IPA: /bɪˈθɪŋk/ Forms: bethinks [present, singular, third-person], bethinking [participle, present], bethought [participle, past], bethought [past]
Rhymes: -ɪŋk Etymology: From Middle English bethenken, bithenchen (“to think about, consider”) from Old English beþenċan, biþenċan (“to think upon, remind, consider, remember”), from Proto-Germanic *biþankijaną; equivalent to be- + think. Akin to Old High German pidenchan (German bedenken), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biþagkjan), Dutch bedenken. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*teng-|id=think}}, {{inh|en|enm|bethenken}} Middle English bethenken, {{inh|en|ang|beþenċan}} Old English beþenċan, {{inh|en|gem-pro|*biþankijaną}} Proto-Germanic *biþankijaną, {{prefix|en|be|think}} be- + think, {{cog|goh|pidenchan}} Old High German pidenchan, {{cog|de|bedenken}} German bedenken, {{cog|got|𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽}} Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biþagkjan), {{cog|nl|bedenken}} Dutch bedenken Head templates: {{en-verb|bethinks|bethinking|bethought}} bethink (third-person singular simple present bethinks, present participle bethinking, simple past and past participle bethought)
  1. (obsolete, transitive) To think about, to recollect. Tags: obsolete, transitive
    Sense id: en-bethink-en-verb-mOybtvUj Categories (other): English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 34 28 19 20
  2. (reflexive) To think of (something or somebody) or that (followed by clause); to remind oneself, to consider, to reflect upon. Tags: reflexive
    Sense id: en-bethink-en-verb-Sdr2kLCm Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms prefixed with be-, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 8 73 4 15 Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 34 28 19 20 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 11 65 7 17 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 11 76 6 7
  3. (intransitive) To meditate, ponder; to consider. Tags: intransitive Synonyms: ponder
    Sense id: en-bethink-en-verb-7BqXbq6A Categories (other): English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 34 28 19 20
  4. To determine, resolve.
    Sense id: en-bethink-en-verb-JoB7Ik~Q Categories (other): English terms prefixed with be- Disambiguation of English terms prefixed with be-: 34 28 19 20
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: umbethink, unbethink

Inflected forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "umbethink"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0 0",
      "word": "unbethink"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*teng-",
        "id": "think"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bethenken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bethenken",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "beþenċan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English beþenċan",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*biþankijaną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *biþankijaną",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "think"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + think",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "pidenchan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German pidenchan",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "bedenken"
      },
      "expansion": "German bedenken",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "got",
        "2": "𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽"
      },
      "expansion": "Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biþagkjan)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bedenken"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bedenken",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English bethenken, bithenchen (“to think about, consider”) from Old English beþenċan, biþenċan (“to think upon, remind, consider, remember”), from Proto-Germanic *biþankijaną; equivalent to be- + think. Akin to Old High German pidenchan (German bedenken), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biþagkjan), Dutch bedenken.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bethinks",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bethinking",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bethought",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bethought",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "bethinks",
        "2": "bethinking",
        "3": "bethought"
      },
      "expansion": "bethink (third-person singular simple present bethinks, present participle bethinking, simple past and past participle bethought)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "34 28 19 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To think about, to recollect."
      ],
      "id": "en-bethink-en-verb-mOybtvUj",
      "links": [
        [
          "think",
          "think"
        ],
        [
          "recollect",
          "recollect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, transitive) To think about, to recollect."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "8 73 4 15",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "34 28 19 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 65 7 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 76 6 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 165:",
          "text": "Baſ[ſanio]. Be aſſured you may. / Iew [i.e., Shylock]. I will be aſſured I may: and that I may be aſſured, I will bethinke mee, may I ſpeake with Anthonio?",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1634 September 1 (Gregorian calendar), Robert Sanderson, “[Ad Clerum.] The Fourth Sermon. At a Metropolitical Visitation at Grantham, Lincoln, 22 August 1634.”, in XXXIV Sermons. […], 5th edition, London: […] [A. Clark] for A. Seil, and are to be sold by G. Sawbridge, […], published 1671, →OCLC, paragraph 15, page 65:",
          "text": "Mens daily occaſions for themſelves or friends, and the neceſities of common life, require the doing of a thouſand things vvithin the compaſs of a fevv dayes, for vvhich it vvould puzzle the beſt Textman that liveth; readily to bethink himself of a ſentence in the Bible, clear enough to ſatisfie a ſcrupulous conſcience of the lavvfulneſs and expediency of vvhat he is about to do; […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1815 [1802], William Wordsworth, Resolution and Independence:",
          "text": "I heard the Sky-lark singing in the sky; / And I bethought me of the playful Hare:",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1832, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Heath's Book of Beauty, 1833, Theresa, page 164:",
          "text": "Though eager to spring down the path and meet him, yet, amid all the forgetfulness of joy, she had bethought her of her aged parent, and returned that she too might share the happiness of their meeting.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1878, Henry James, An International Episode:",
          "text": "It was natural that in the hour of tribulation Lord Lambeth and Mr. Percy Beaumont should have bethought themselves of a gentleman whose attractions had been thus vividly depicted; […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 566”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "One day, among the days, he bethought him of this and fell lamenting for that the most part of his existence was past and he had not been vouchsafed a son, to inherit the kingdom after him, even as he had inherited it from his fathers and forebears; by reason whereof there betided him sore cark and care and chagrin exceeding.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1924 June 4, E[dward] M[organ] Forster, A Passage to India, London: Edward Arnold & Co., →OCLC:",
          "text": "Having censured the circumcision, she bethought her of kindred topics, and asked Aziz when he was going to be married.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 49:",
          "text": "However, and just before I was due to take the entrance exam at the age of thirteen, my mother bethought herself that it might be worth taking a look at the place where I was due to be conscripted for the next five formative years.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To think of (something or somebody) or that (followed by clause); to remind oneself, to consider, to reflect upon."
      ],
      "id": "en-bethink-en-verb-Sdr2kLCm",
      "links": [
        [
          "of",
          "of#English"
        ],
        [
          "that",
          "that#English"
        ],
        [
          "remind",
          "remind"
        ],
        [
          "consider",
          "consider"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(reflexive) To think of (something or somebody) or that (followed by clause); to remind oneself, to consider, to reflect upon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "reflexive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "34 28 19 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To meditate, ponder; to consider."
      ],
      "id": "en-bethink-en-verb-7BqXbq6A",
      "links": [
        [
          "meditate",
          "meditate"
        ],
        [
          "ponder",
          "ponder"
        ],
        [
          "consider",
          "consider"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To meditate, ponder; to consider."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "ponder"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "34 28 19 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms prefixed with be-",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To determine, resolve."
      ],
      "id": "en-bethink-en-verb-JoB7Ik~Q",
      "links": [
        [
          "determine",
          "determine"
        ],
        [
          "resolve",
          "resolve"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈθɪŋk/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪŋk"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bethink"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Old English",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *teng- (think)",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms inherited from Old English",
    "English terms inherited from Proto-Germanic",
    "English terms prefixed with be-",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪŋk",
    "Rhymes:English/ɪŋk/2 syllables"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "umbethink"
    },
    {
      "word": "unbethink"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*teng-",
        "id": "think"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bethenken"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bethenken",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "beþenċan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English beþenċan",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*biþankijaną"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *biþankijaną",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "think"
      },
      "expansion": "be- + think",
      "name": "prefix"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "goh",
        "2": "pidenchan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old High German pidenchan",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "bedenken"
      },
      "expansion": "German bedenken",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "got",
        "2": "𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽"
      },
      "expansion": "Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biþagkjan)",
      "name": "cog"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "bedenken"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch bedenken",
      "name": "cog"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English bethenken, bithenchen (“to think about, consider”) from Old English beþenċan, biþenċan (“to think upon, remind, consider, remember”), from Proto-Germanic *biþankijaną; equivalent to be- + think. Akin to Old High German pidenchan (German bedenken), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌸𐌰𐌲𐌺𐌾𐌰𐌽 (biþagkjan), Dutch bedenken.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "bethinks",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bethinking",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bethought",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "bethought",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "bethinks",
        "2": "bethinking",
        "3": "bethought"
      },
      "expansion": "bethink (third-person singular simple present bethinks, present participle bethinking, simple past and past participle bethought)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with obsolete senses",
        "English transitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To think about, to recollect."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "think",
          "think"
        ],
        [
          "recollect",
          "recollect"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(obsolete, transitive) To think about, to recollect."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete",
        "transitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English reflexive verbs",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 165:",
          "text": "Baſ[ſanio]. Be aſſured you may. / Iew [i.e., Shylock]. I will be aſſured I may: and that I may be aſſured, I will bethinke mee, may I ſpeake with Anthonio?",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1634 September 1 (Gregorian calendar), Robert Sanderson, “[Ad Clerum.] The Fourth Sermon. At a Metropolitical Visitation at Grantham, Lincoln, 22 August 1634.”, in XXXIV Sermons. […], 5th edition, London: […] [A. Clark] for A. Seil, and are to be sold by G. Sawbridge, […], published 1671, →OCLC, paragraph 15, page 65:",
          "text": "Mens daily occaſions for themſelves or friends, and the neceſities of common life, require the doing of a thouſand things vvithin the compaſs of a fevv dayes, for vvhich it vvould puzzle the beſt Textman that liveth; readily to bethink himself of a ſentence in the Bible, clear enough to ſatisfie a ſcrupulous conſcience of the lavvfulneſs and expediency of vvhat he is about to do; […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1815 [1802], William Wordsworth, Resolution and Independence:",
          "text": "I heard the Sky-lark singing in the sky; / And I bethought me of the playful Hare:",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1832, Letitia Elizabeth Landon, Heath's Book of Beauty, 1833, Theresa, page 164:",
          "text": "Though eager to spring down the path and meet him, yet, amid all the forgetfulness of joy, she had bethought her of her aged parent, and returned that she too might share the happiness of their meeting.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1878, Henry James, An International Episode:",
          "text": "It was natural that in the hour of tribulation Lord Lambeth and Mr. Percy Beaumont should have bethought themselves of a gentleman whose attractions had been thus vividly depicted; […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 566”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "One day, among the days, he bethought him of this and fell lamenting for that the most part of his existence was past and he had not been vouchsafed a son, to inherit the kingdom after him, even as he had inherited it from his fathers and forebears; by reason whereof there betided him sore cark and care and chagrin exceeding.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1924 June 4, E[dward] M[organ] Forster, A Passage to India, London: Edward Arnold & Co., →OCLC:",
          "text": "Having censured the circumcision, she bethought her of kindred topics, and asked Aziz when he was going to be married.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2010, Christopher Hitchens, Hitch-22, Atlantic, published 2011, page 49:",
          "text": "However, and just before I was due to take the entrance exam at the age of thirteen, my mother bethought herself that it might be worth taking a look at the place where I was due to be conscripted for the next five formative years.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To think of (something or somebody) or that (followed by clause); to remind oneself, to consider, to reflect upon."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "of",
          "of#English"
        ],
        [
          "that",
          "that#English"
        ],
        [
          "remind",
          "remind"
        ],
        [
          "consider",
          "consider"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(reflexive) To think of (something or somebody) or that (followed by clause); to remind oneself, to consider, to reflect upon."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "reflexive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English intransitive verbs"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To meditate, ponder; to consider."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "meditate",
          "meditate"
        ],
        [
          "ponder",
          "ponder"
        ],
        [
          "consider",
          "consider"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(intransitive) To meditate, ponder; to consider."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "ponder"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "intransitive"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "To determine, resolve."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "determine",
          "determine"
        ],
        [
          "resolve",
          "resolve"
        ]
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/bɪˈθɪŋk/"
    },
    {
      "rhymes": "-ɪŋk"
    }
  ],
  "word": "bethink"
}

Download raw JSONL data for bethink meaning in English (7.0kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.