▪ I.†beˈhight,v.Obs.For forms see below.[AnOTeut.compoundvb.:OE.bi-, behátan=OHG.biheiȥan,Goth.biháitan (in derivatives),f.bi-, be- +OE.hátan=Goth.háitan to call,pa.tense haiháit, (=heháit),pa.pple.haitans. The reduplicatedpa.tense appeared inOE.as heht (:—*ˈhehat:—*heˈhât:—heˈhait),contr.hét (pl.héton). As there was no otherEng.vb.exactly parallel, the isolated inflexion of hátan and behátan was inME.subjected to a remarkable series of changes, resulting finally in the loss of the original present stem, and the substitution of that of the past as a new present, with weak inflexions. 1. TheOE.original forms of thepres.beháte, andpa.pple.beháten, gave regularly theME.behote and behoten (to c 1525). TheOE.pa.tense behét gaveME.behet (-heet, -hete), found after 1400; beheht gave bi-heyght, -height, more usually behiȝt, -hight (-hyht, -hyght, and in 15th c. -hite). But in the course of the 14th c., the normal forms, behote, behet -height -hight, behoten, began to be disturbed under the influence of levelling, and of various assumed analogies. 2. Thus, the Present took the vowel of the then archaic past, and became behete, -heete, frequent in Wyclif, Chaucer, and Lydgate. The Past was occasionally assimilated to thepple.as behotte, behote; but far more frequently thepple.was assimilated to thepa.tense, first as behet, -hete, then as beheyght, behight, in 16th c. also behite. The Past behight was then made weak, as be-hight-e (3 syllables;cf.forms like mighte, lighte); and finally behight (behite) was taken as present, and thepa.tense andpple.duly became in 16th c. behighted (behited);cf.lighted for earlier lighte. Rare forms of thepa.tense were c 1400 behit (cf.lit=lighted), and in 16th c. behoted, formed on the original present behote. See further under the simple hight v. Towards the end of the 16th c. behight became obsolete, but was kept up by the Spenserian archaists, who often misunderstood its meaning, and employed it in mistaken senses.]A.Illustration of Forms.1.pres.(α) 1–3 beháte; 3–4 bi-, 3–6 behote.a1000ælfricDeut.xxiii. 21Ðonne ðu behat behætst.c1175Lamb.Hom.161Moni mon bihateð wel þe hit forȝeteð sone.a1225Ancr. R. 8Ȝe ne schulen nout bihoten hit, auh..doð hit as þauh ȝe hefden hit bihoten.1340Ayenb. 65Ȝuyche men þet..behoteþ þing þet hi nele naȝt healde.c1400Gamelyn 378ffor to holden myn a-vow as I the by-hoote.a1520Myrr. Our Ladye 61He behoteth that..there shall be encresed peace and accorde.[1591LambardeArch.141That the Lord ofBedford..nor other of the Councell shall behote any favour.](β)4–6 behete, beheete.c1340Cursor M. 6872So dud prince & als prophete As god dud to him bihete[v.r. hete, hette].c1388WyclifWisd.ii. 13He biheetith[1382 behoteth]that he hath the kunnyng of God.c1386ChaucerCan. Yeom.Prol.& T. 154Neuere heere after wol I with hym meete..I yow biheete[v.r. be-, by-, -hete].a1400Chester Pl. 31,I thee behette.c1420Chron.Vilod. 1014Depe dampnacyon God byhetuth alle þo.c1530Hanley in PrynneSov. PowerParl.ii. (1643) 67The King shall answer, I grant and behete.(γ)4–5 behyte, 6 behyȝt, -height, -hite, Sc.hecht, 6–7 -hight.c1400Apol.Loll. 11If þe pope..behiȝt ani swilk þingis.Ibid.69Wan þe prest..behytiþ suelk an absolucoun.1513Douglasæneis i. vi. 94,I ȝou behecht[v.r. hecht].1548HallChron.(1809) 136Promisyng and behightyng by the faith of his body.1581MarbeckBk.Notes 458It bringeth and beheighteth good thinges.1610P. BarroughMeth.Physick i. xxviii. (1639) 45[They]often behight and determine to kill themselves.2.pa.tense. (α) 1–4 behét, 2 -heot, 4 -heet, -hete, -hett.c1000ælfricDeut.v. 2Drihten God behet us wed.a1100O.E.Chron.an. 1036ælc man yfel him behet.c1175Lamb.Hom.71Swa he þurh þe witeȝa bihet.a1225Ancr. R. 176Salue ich bihet to techen ou.c1300Harrow. Hell 199Do me as thou bihete.c1400Gamelyn 783He him beheet That he wolde be redy whan the justice seet.c1430HymnsVirg.98He..Þat biheet me riȝt.(β)1 beheht, 3–5 -heyght(e, 5–6 -height; 4 -hyȝt, 4–6 -hight, 5 -hite, 5–6 -hyght, 6 Sc.-hicht.c1300K. Alis. 3925A byheste, That Darie byheyghte.c1320R. BrunneMedit.1027As þou me behyȝte.c1386ChaucerKnt.'s T. 1614Myn owen knight Schal have his lady, as thou him bihight.c1440GestaRom.122Vertuys, þe whiche he be-hite in baptyme.c1500Lancelot 1481The lond, the wich he them byhicht.1527Caxton's Trevisa's Higden i. lviii. 53 b,Scottes sente y⊇ Pyctes..and behyght them helpe.1569Turberv.Poems,Your comely hewe behight me hope.(γ)4–5 be-, bi-, byhiȝte, -hyȝte, -higte, 5–6 -hyghte, -highte. After final e became mute, this was of course identified with β.c1374ChaucerTroylus v. 1204He niste what he juggen of it myghte, Syn she hath broken that she hym byhighte.1382WyclifMatt.xiv. 7He byhiȝte for to ȝeue to hir.c1449PecockRepr. 404Wole not performe what he so be⁓hiȝte.a1520Myrr. Our Ladye 309Iesu hathe sente the holy goste that he behyghte.(δ)4–5 behit.c1400Apol.Loll. 10Crist..behit vs heuenly kyndom.(ε)5 behotte, 5–6 behote.c1425Three Kings Cologne (1885) 9And[þei]byhotten ȝiftes to þe kepers.1493Festivall (W. de W. 1515) 115Thou behote me a chylde, and now is the mother deed.(ζ)6 behoted.1520Caxton'sChron.Eng.ii. 15/2Those that me other wise behoted[ed.1480 Tho that me other wyse behyghten].(η)6 behighted, -hited, -heighted.1562FoxeA. & M. I. 456/2For so thou behited us sometime.1587GoldingDe Mornay xxix. 452Let vs see what time they behighted for his comming.3.pa.pple.(α) 1–3 beháten, 2–6 -hoten, 3–6 -hote.c1175Cott.Hom.225Swa swa him aér be-haten wes.c1314Guy Warw. 104Bihoten Ich it haue a maiden of priis.c1400Beryn 2528Delyvir me of sorowe, as yee be⁓hote have.a1520Myrr. Our Ladye 267He hathe behote..to gyue a hundereth folde.1562FoxeA. & M. I. 454/2It was byhoten by Jeremiah.1579SpenserSheph.Cal.Dec. 54But better mought they haue behote him Hate.(β)4 behet, 5 -hete.a1400Cursor M. 3010 (Trin.) 8Hir son..þat was longe bihet toforn.Ibid.13137This childe was by-hete[v.r. bihett]many a yere Ar he were sent.c1460TowneleyMyst.31As thou me behete hase.(γ)4 byheght, 4–5 bihyȝt, -hyght, -hiȝt, -hight, behiȝt, -hyȝt, -hyht; 4–6 behight, -hyght, -hite.c1325E.E.Allit.P. C. 29Þe happes alle aȝt þat vus bihyȝt weren.c1380WyclifSel.Wks.III. 429God haves byheght hom.1388―Ecclus.viii. 16If thou hast bihiȝt.1447O. BokenhamSeyntysIntrod.6Aftyr I had behyht the ryng.1510LoveBonavent. Mirr. xviii. E v,The mede of theym is behyght for to come.1553–87FoxeA. & M. I. 541/1To wakers God has behite the Crown of Life.1596SpenserF.Q. i. x. 50The keys are to thy hand behight.(δ)6 behited, -highted, -heighted.1574tr.Marlorat's Apocalips 37He hath behyghted vs euerlasting life.1577St.Aug. Manuell 26The light that God hath behighted them.1606WarnerAlb.Eng.ci. 399His knights had all behited them fulfild.B.Signification.I.Proper senses.1.To vow, to promise.a.trans.(with dat.of the person.)a1000ælfricGen.xxxviii. 17Oð þæt þu me sende þæt þu me behætst.c1300Beket 1010The King bihet hem gret honur.1369ChaucerBk.Duchesse 631The trayteresse false and full of gyle, That al behoteth, and nothing halt.a1420HoccleveDeReg.Princ.2337A kyng ought..No thyng bihete but yf he it perfourme.1556Abp.Parker Psalter cxvi. 16,I now will paye, My vowes that I behight.1621Bp.R. Montagu Diatribae 506,I behight thee the Tenth of all my gettings.b.with inf. or subord.clause.c1205Lay.18396Godde we scullen bihaten ure sunnen to beten.c1340Cursor M. 5431 (Trin.),I bihete þe riȝt hit shal be done.c1450Knt. de la Tour (1868) 92The payens behight her..that she shulde haue a gret somme of moneye.1480CaxtonChron.Eng.ccxxi. 211He..behiȝt hym for to done his message.1496Dives & Paup. (W. de W.) i. xl. 81He that behoteth to come ayen.1610P. BarroughMeth.Physick i. xxviii. (1639) 45[The melancholious]desire death, and do very often behight and determine to kill themselves.2.trans.To encourage expectation, to hold out hope of (life, recovery, etc.).c1420Chron.Vilod. 788He had..þe fevere quarteyne, Þat no mon þat sye hurre by-hette hurr þe lyff.a1552LelandBrit.Coll.I. 231This William..was wounded so sore that no man beheight him life.1571GoldingCalvin onPs.ix. 14He behighteth himselfe saufty even in the mouth of death.3.trans.To assure (one) of the truth of a statement; to warrant. (Cf.mod.I promise you.)c1386ChaucerWife'sProl.1034Litel whil it last, I you biheete.c1430Syr.Tryam. 18He had a quene..Trewe as stele, y yow be-hett.1513Douglasæneis i. vi. 94Dido heyrat comouit, I ȝou behecht..followschip redy made.II.Improper uses by the archaists of the 16th and 17th cc., when the word was becoming obsolete;cf.the simple hight, also behest.4.trans.To grant, deliver.1596SpenserF.Q. i. x. 50The keys are to thy hand behight By wise Fidelia.5.To command, bid, ordain.c1591SpenserMuiopotmos 241It fortuned (as heavens had behight) That, etc.1596―F.Q. vi. ii. 39He..with her marched forth, as she did him behight.6.To call, to name.1579SpenserSheph.Cal.Apr. 120They bene all Ladyes of the lake behight.Ibid.Dec. 54Love they him called..But better mought they have behote him Hate.1599NasheLent. Stuffe (1871) 72Which..are behighted the trees of the sun and moon.1652AshmoleTheat.Chem.i. 129After Philosophy I you behyte.7.To bespeak, invoke.1615T. AdamsLycanthr.Ep.Ded.3,I behight you in my prayers, a happy progresse in grace.▪ II.†beˈhight,n.Obs.Forms: 5 behiȝt, 6 -hight, Sc.behicht, -hecht.[f.prec.vb.:cf.the parallel behete, behote.]A promise.c1400Apol.Loll. 57After His blessing and silk behiȝt.c1505DunbarNone may Assure xii,Quhais fals behechtis as wind hym wavis.1533BellendenLivy ii. (1822) 130,I wil nocht dissave the Tarquinis..with vane behichtis.a1547Earl of SurreyPsalm lxxiii. 25[Not]In other succour..But only thine, whom I have found in thy behight so just.