*bihōf

Reconstruction

Wiktionary reconstructs *bihōf "necessity, need" for Proto-West Germanic.^[1]

Etymology

It is formed from Proto-Germanic *bi + *hōfą (“necessity”): Wiktionary derives it from the prefix *bi- and *hōf, which it traces to Proto-Germanic *hōfą "necessity".^[1] Köbler likewise analyses Old English behōf as be with *hōf, and Old Frisian bihōf as bi- with *hōf;^[2][3] he sets up the Proto-Germanic noun as *hōfa-, *hōfam "behoof, profit".^[4]

Morphology

A strong noun: Köbler takes the Old English word for a neuter a-stem and the Old Frisian one for a masculine a-stem,^[2][3] while Hofmann and Popkema give the Old Frisian noun as neuter.^[5]

Evidence

The noun is recorded in Old English behōf and Old Frisian bihōf;^[2][5] Wiktionary gives only reconstructed forms for Old Saxon, Old Dutch and Old High German.^[1] Old Frisian also has an adjective bihōf (“needy”), used only in the phrase "bihōf wesa" "to need".^[5][3] Gamillscheg derives Old French buhot, behot (“tube”) from a Frankish *behōf, which he connects with an Old Franconian ⟨bihovian⟩ "to need" and takes for the Germanic counterpart of Latin utensilia.^[6]

Meanings

1. necessity, need^[1]

Old English also used the noun for "use, profit" and "want, lack",^[2] and Old Frisian for "advantage" and, with the genitive, in "tō … bihōf" "for the benefit of".^[3][5]

Derivatives

• *bihōfōn "to need, to require", which Wiktionary derives from the noun;^[7] Holthausen and Köbler refer Old English behōfian to behōf.^[8][9]

Reflexes

• Old English: behōf (“behoof, use, need, want”)^[2]
• Old Frisian: bihōf (“need, requirement”)^[5]

References

1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bihōf
2. ^ a b c d e Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. behōf
3. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bihōf
4. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *hōfa-, *hōfam
5. ^ a b c d e Hofmann, Dietrich; Popkema, Anne Tjerk (2008), Altfriesisches Handwörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bihōf
6. ^ Gamillscheg, Ernst (1966–1969), Etymologisches Wörterbuch der französischen Sprache, 2nd, fully revised ed., Heidelberg: Winter, p. 178
7. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bihōfōn
8. ^ Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. behōfian
9. ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altenglisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. behōfian