bewitan

Old English

Alternative forms

• bewitian, beweotian

Etymology

From be- +‎ witan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beˈwi.tɑn/

Verb

bewitan

1. to overlook; oversee, watch over; bewatch, superintend, preside, govern
   • 10th century, Vercelli Book:

     Ðū, ma[n], bewite þē sylfne

     You, man, watch over yourself.

2. (of people, institutions, affairs, etc.) to take charge of, watch over

Conjugation

Conjugation of bewitan (preterite-present)

infinitive	bewitan	bewitenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	bewāt	bewisse, bewiste
second person singular	bewāst	bewissest, bewistest
third person singular	bewāt	bewisse, bewiste
plural	bewiton	bewisson, bewiston
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	bewite	bewisse, bewiste
plural	bewiten	bewissen, bewisten
imperative
singular	bewite
plural	bewitaþ
participle	present	past
	bewitende	bewiten

Descendants

• Middle English: biwitien, biwiten, biwitten
  • English: bewit

References

• Joseph Bosworth; T. Northcote Toller (1898), “bewitan”, in An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary, second edition, Oxford: Oxford University Press.