besittan

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bisitjaną (“to sit near, sit among or around”), equivalent to be- +‎ sittan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beˈsit.tɑn/

Verb

besittan

1. to sit near; sit about, surround, beset
2. to besiege
   • late 9th century, translation of Orosius’ History Against the Pagans

     Æfter þǣm Rōmeburg ġetimbred wæs V hunde wintrum ⁊ XXXIII, Hannibal, Pena cyning, besǣt Saguntum Ispania burg...

     533 years after Rome was built, Hannibal, king of the Carthaginians, laid siege to Saguntum, a city in Hispania.

3. to sit as the master of, hold, possess

Conjugation

Conjugation of besittan (strong class 5)

infinitive	besittan	besittenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	besitte	besæt
second person singular	besitst	besǣte
third person singular	besitt, besit	besæt
plural	besittaþ	besǣton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	besitte	besǣte
plural	besitten	besǣten
imperative
singular	besite
plural	besittaþ
participle	present	past
	besittende	beseten

Descendants

• Middle English: besitten
  • English: besit