bever

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English biveren, beveren (“to tremble”), frequentative form of Old English beofian, bifian (“to tremble, be moved, shake, quake”), from Proto-Germanic *bibāną (“to quake, shiver”). Cognate with West Frisian bibberje (“to shiver”), Dutch bibberen (“to shiver, quiver”), Low German beveren (“to shiver”), German Low German bevern (“to tremble”), German bibbern (“to shiver”). related also to Dutch beven (“to quake”), German beben (“to quake, tremble”), Swedish bäva (“to quake, tremble”), Icelandic bifa (“to budge, be moved”), Latin foedus (“disgusting, shocking, abominable, heinous”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛvə(ɹ)/, (dialectally) /ˈbɪvə(ɹ)/
• (Scotland) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ(ː)vəɹ/
• (Scotland) Rhymes: -ɛvəɹ

Verb

bever (third-person singular simple present bevers, present participle bevering, simple past and past participle bevered)

1. (intransitive) To tremble; shake; quiver; shiver.
   • 1485, Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte D'Arthur, page 25:

     Wherefore King Ban and King Bors made them ready, and dressed their shields and harness, and they were so courageous that many knights shook and bevered for eagerness.

Derived terms

• bevering

References

• The Dictionary of the Scots Language

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• pronounced the same as bevor (i.e. IPA^(key): /ˈbiːvə(ɹ)/)

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

1. Alternative spelling of bevor
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene:

     And, passing forward with furious affret, / Pierst through his bever and quite into his brow.

   • 1635, L. I. , “The Third Argument was about the Killing Letter; out of Origen, ”, in The Relection of a Conference Tovching the Reall Presence. Or A Bachelovrs Censvre of a Masters Apologie for Doctour Featlie, Douai: Lavrence Kellam, →OCLC, page 333:

     He who lookes you in the face, ſaith he ſees you, though the reſt of your bodie be within your cloathes, and if you, being an ὁωλομάχος a cataphract in your proteſtantiſh πανοπλία [panoplía, suit of armour] should for fear pull downe your beuer before you come into the liſt, your Aduerſarie for all that might light vpon your (  ) vnleſſe you bring with you Giges his ring, ſo to make your ſelf inuiſible; [...]

   • 1786, Francis Grose, A Treatise on Ancient Armour and Weapons, page 8:

     Some close helmets have a farther improvement called a bever, the bever when closed covers the mouth and chin, and either lifts up by revolving on the same pivots as the visor, or lets down by means of two or more pivots on each side near the jaws, in which case the bever consists of several laminæ or plates, one shutting over the other.

Etymology 3

From Middle English bever, from Anglo-Norman bever (modern French boire), from Latin bibō.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈbiːvə/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• (General American) enPR: bēʹvər, IPA^(key): /ˈbivɚ/
• Rhymes: -iːvə(ɹ)
• Homophones: beaver, Belvoir, bevor

Noun

bever (countable and uncountable, plural bevers)

1. (obsolete) A drink.
   • 1625, John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Elder Brother. A Comedy.”, in Comedies and Tragedies , London: Humphrey Robinson, , and for Humphrey Moseley , published 1679, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):

     Bid my subsiser carry my hackney to the buttery, and give him his bever; it is a civil and sober beast, and will drink moderately.

2. (now rare, archaic) A snack or light refreshment between meals.
   • 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 2, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes , book II, London: Val Simmes for Edward Blount , →OCLC:

     It seemeth that wee daily shorten the use of this, and that in our houses (as I have seene in mine infancie) breakfasts, nunchions, and beavers [translating collations] should be more frequent and often used than now adayes they are.

   • 1604, Christopher Marlowe, Dr. Faustus:

     Thirty meals a day and ten bevers.

   • 1980, Anthony Burgess, Earthly Powers:

     Very softly I boiled water, made a sandwich from the remains of the luncheon roast chicken, scalded the Twining creature. Then I softly carried my bever to the study on a tray […].

3. (obsolete) A time for drinking.
4. (obsolete) A mixture of cider and water.

Related terms

• beverage

Verb

bever (third-person singular simple present bevers, present participle bevering, simple past and past participle bevered)

1. (obsolete) To take a light repast between meals.

Etymology 4

Pronunciation

• pronounced the same as beaver (“semiaquatic rodent”) (i.e. IPA^(key): /ˈbiːvə(ɹ)/)

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

1. Obsolete spelling of beaver (“semiaquatic rodent”)

References

Anagrams

• breve

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch bēver, from Old Dutch *bevar, from Proto-Germanic *bebruz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰébʰrus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeː.vər/

• audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: be‧ver
• Rhymes: -eːvər

Noun

bever m (plural bevers, diminutive bevertje n)

1. A beaver, rodent of the genus Castor.
2. (particularly) The European beaver, Castor fiber.

Derived terms

Descendants

• Afrikaans: bewer

Anagrams

• breve

Hungarian

Etymology

be- +‎ ver

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):
• Hyphenation: be‧ver
• Rhymes: -ɛr

Verb

bever

1. (transitive, of one's head) to knock (into something -ba/-be)

   A kisfiú véletlenül beverte a fejét az asztalba. ― The little boy accidentally knocked his head into the table.

2. (transitive, of nails) to drive in (-ba/-be)

   Beverte a szögeket a falba. ― S/he drove the nails into the wall.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Further reading

• bever in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (‘The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
• bever in Ittzés, Nóra (ed.). A magyar nyelv nagyszótára (‘A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language’). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published A–ez as of 2024)

Ladino

Etymology

From Latin bibō, bibere.

Verb

bever (Latin spelling)

1. to drink

Middle Dutch

Etymology

From Old Dutch *bevar, from Proto-Germanic *bebruz.

Noun

bēver m

1. beaver

Inflection

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Descendants

• Dutch: bever
  • Afrikaans: bewer
• Limburgish: baever

Further reading

• “bever”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• Verwijs, E., Verdam, J. (1885–1929) “bever”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, →ISBN

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English befer, from Proto-West Germanic *bebru, from Proto-Germanic *bebruz, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰébʰrus.

Alternative forms

• beauver, beever, befer, beofer, beuver, bevere, bevre, bevyr, bevyre, bewer, byvre

Pronunciation

• (Early ME) IPA^(key): /ˈbøːvər/
• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛːvər/

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

2. A beaver (rodent of the genus Castor).
3. Beaver fur, skin, or pelt, or a similar cloth.

Descendants

• English: beaver
• Scots: bever, baiver
• → Irish: béabhar

References

• “bēver, n.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-23.

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman bever (modern French boire), from Latin bibō.

Alternative forms

• bevere

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛːvər/

Noun

bever (plural bevers)

2. (rare, Late Middle English) beverage

Related terms

• beverage

Descendants

• English: bever

References

• “bēver, n.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2019-04-23.

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

bever

Wikipedia ^no

Etymology

From Middle Low German bever (compare with Dutch bever, German Biber and English beaver). The word replaced Old Norse bjórr (compare with Norwegian Nynorsk bjor).

Noun

bever m (definite singular beveren, indefinite plural bevere or bevre or bevrer, definite plural beverne or bevrene)

1. a beaver (aquatic mammal)

   En bever kan veie opptil 40 kg.

   A beaver can weigh up to 40 kg.

2. a beaver's fur

   Kåpen er av bever.

   The coat is made of beaver fur.

3. a 6- to 8-year-old member of the Scouts

References

• “bever” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “bever” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• Article in Store norske leksikon ("great Norwegian encyclopedia") on beavers.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Middle Low German bever (compare Dutch bever, German German Biber and English beaver). The word replaced Old Norse bjórr (compare Norwegian Nynorsk bjor).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeːʋɛr/

Noun

bever m (definite singular beveren, indefinite plural beverar, definite plural beverane)

1. beaver (aquatic mammal), a roden of the genus Castor, specifically the European beaver, Castor fiber

   Ein bever kan vege opptil 40 kg.

   A beaver can weigh up to 40 kg.

2. a beaver's fur

   Kåpa er av bever.

   The coat is made of beaver fur.

3. a 6- to 8-year-old member of the Scouts

Synonyms

• bjor

References

• “bever” in The Ordnett Dictionary
• “bever” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
• Article in Store norske leksikon ("great Norwegian encyclopedia") on beavers.

Occitan

Verb

bever

1. Alternative form of beure

Conjugation

This verb needs an inflection-table template.

Old French

Etymology 1

see beivre

Verb

bever

1. Alternative form of beivre

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a third-group verb. This verb has irregularities in its conjugation. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

Etymology 2

Of Germanic origin, from Frankish *bebru. More at English beaver.

Noun

bever oblique singular, m (oblique plural bevers, nominative singular bevers, nominative plural bever)

1. beaver (mammal)

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Latin bibere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /be.ˈβeɾ/

Verb

bever

1. to drink

Conjugation

Descendants

• Galician: beber
• Portuguese: beber
  • Kabuverdianu: bebe
    • Papiamentu: bebe, bebi
  • Papiamentu: bebe, bebi

Old Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Latin bibere.

Verb

bever (first-person singular present bevo, first-person singular preterite beví, past participle bevido)

1. to drink
   • c. 1275, Alfonso X, General Estoria, primera parte, (published by Pedro Sánchez Prieto-Borja, 2002, Alcalá de Henares: Universidad de Alcalá de Henares):

     E respusol ella: - Beve, mio señor, cuanto quisieres. […] Pues que vós avedes bevido daré agora a vuestros camellos fasta que todos bevan cuanto quisieren

     And she replied to him, "Drink, milord, as much as you want." And so, since you have taken drink, I shall now give some to your camels, until all drink however much they want.

Descendants

• Spanish: beber

Romansch

Alternative forms

• baiver (Rumantsch Grischun, Puter, Vallader)
• beiber (Sursilvan)
• beber (Sutsilvan)

Etymology

From Latin bibō, bibere.

Verb

bever

1. (Sutsilvan, Surmiran) to drink