bereave etymology

Etymology

The word "bereave" comes from the Old English word "bereafian," which means "to deprive" or "to take away." It is related to the Old Norse word "beröva," which means "to rob."

Meaning

To bereave means to cause someone to lose a loved one, typically through death. It is a transitive verb, meaning that it requires a direct object. For example, "The accident bereaved her of her husband."

Origin

The word "bereave" has been used in the English language since the 13th century. It was originally used in a more general sense, to refer to any kind of loss. However, by the 16th century, it had come to be used primarily in the context of losing a loved one.

Usage

The word "bereave" is often used in a formal or literary context. It can be used in both active and passive voice. For example, "The grieving mother was bereaved of her child" or "The child was bereaved of his mother."

bereave relate terms

  • bereft

    Etymology Old English bereafod meaning robbed despoiled Germanic root raub

  • bereave

    Etymology The word bereave comes from the Old English word bereafian which means to

  • corrupt

    Etymology The word corrupt comes from the Latin word corruptus which means marred

  • reave

    Etymology The word reave derives from the Old English word reafian meaning to seiz

  • private

    Etymology The word private comes from the Latin word privatus which means distinct

  • sprit

    Etymology The word sprit has two distinct etymologies 1 From Old French Espe o

  • strip

    Etymology The word strip has several etymological roots Old English stripian or

  • stirp

    Etymology Latin stirps meaning stock lineage race Meaning A line of des

  • divest

    Etymology From Middle English divesten from Anglo Norman desvester from Old French de

  • deprive

    Etymology The word deprive comes from the Middle French word despriver meaning to d

  • imagination

    Etymology Latin imaginatio image conception French imagination Meaning Ima