beot

From Middle English beot (“boast, threat, boastful speech; boastfulness”), from Old English bēot; see below.

beot (countable and uncountable, plural beots)

1. (countable) A boast or threat; boastful speech.
2. (uncountable) Boastfulness.

• -to-be, Beto, Tebo, Tobe, boet, bote, to-be, tobe

From earlier bihāt, second element cognate with Old Norse heit with very similar semantics.

• IPA^(key): /be͜oːt/

bēot n (nominative plural bēot)

1. promise, vow, boast
   • 10th century, The Wanderer:

     Beorn sċeal ġebīdan, · þonne hē bēot spriceð,
     oþþæt collenferð · cunne ġearwe
     hwider hreþra ġehyġd · hweorfan wille.

     Man must pause when he tells a promise
     until bold spirit would know clearly
     where thought of hearts would turn.

2. threat, danger

Strong a-stem:

• bēotian (“to threaten, boast, vow, promise”)
• bēotlic (“arrogant, exulting, boastful, threatening”)
• bēotlīce (“arrogantly, exultingly, boastfully, threateningly”)
• bēotmæċġ (“leader”)
• bēotung (“threatening”)
• bēotword (“boast: threat”)