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be·queath

(bĭ-kwēth, -kwēth)

tr.v. be·queathed, be·queath·ing, be·queaths

1. Law To leave or give (personal property) by will.

2. To pass (something) on to another; hand down: bequeathed to their children a respect for hard work.

[Middle English biquethen, from Old English becwethan : be-, be- + cwethan, to say; see g^wet- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

be·queathal, be·queathment n.

be·queather n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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