Etymology * Middle English: bespeken, "to speak to; to arrange, agree upon" * Old English: besprec(e)an, "to speak" * Proto-Germanic: *bi-sprek-an- * Proto-Indo-European: *bʰi-spreḱ-ǵʰ-
Meaning 1. To engage (a person or thing) in advance. 2. To indicate or express (a quality, etc.)
Origin The word "bespeak" comes from the Old English word "besprec(e)an," which means "to speak." This word is a combination of the prefix "be-" and the verb "sprecan," which means "to speak."
The prefix "be-" is used in Old English to indicate that a verb is being used in a reflexive or passive sense. In this case, the prefix "be-" causes the verb "sprecan" to mean "to speak for or about oneself."
The verb "sprecan" is derived from the Proto-Germanic verb *bi-sprek-an-, which means "to speak." This verb is in turn derived from the Proto-Indo-European verb *bʰi-spreḱ-ǵʰ-, which means "to break into pieces."
The original meaning of the word "bespeak" was therefore "to speak for oneself or about oneself." However, over time, the meaning of the word has evolved to include the more general sense of "to arrange or agree upon."
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