v. Obs. Forms: 1 belǽfan, 2 bilæfen, -læuen, -leauen, 2–4 bi-, beleue(n, (4 bi-, bylaue), 4–5 beleve, bleve, blewy(n, (5 byleve), 6 beleaue. Pa. t. 1–2 be-, bilǽfde, -leafde, 2–3 -lefde, 3 -leaued(e, -lefte, 3–4 -leued(e, -left(e, -lafte, blefede, 4 blefte, 4–7 beleft(e. Pa. pple. 1 belǽfed, 2–4 bi-, beleued, 3 (-lefued), -leved, -left, 4 bleft, 4–5 byleft, -lefft, -laft. [OE. belǽfan:—OTeut. and Goth. bilaibjan, f. bi-, BE- + laibjan, in OE. lǽfan to LEAVE, a causal deriv. of OTeut. *lîban to remain, which appeared in Eng. in BELIVE. Thus originally and properly transitive; but very early substituted for the intrans. belīve. In 14th c. often syncopated to bleve(n, esp. in Kentish; cf. mod.G. bleiben, Du. blijven.]
I. transitive.
1. To let or cause to remain behind, to go away without taking with one, to abandon.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 79. Ho hinc bilefde liggen half quic.
c. 1200. Ormin, 8913. He wass þa behinndenn hemm Bilefedd att te temmple.
c. 1205. Lay., 18648. Þe eorl … bilefde his wif in Tintaieol.
1297. R. Glouc., 421. Hys fader … ladde hym … into Normandye, & byleuede hym þere.
c. 1330. Assump. Virg., 759. Thei leide þe bodi in a stone, And bileft alle in þat stede.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 2380. The cors of Kayone … at Came es belevefede.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, X. xi. 166. Men … Quham … to myschewus deyd beleft haue I.
1627. May, Lucan, VIII. (T.). Wondering at fortune’s turns, and scarce is he Beleft, relating his own misery.
b. To leave (something) behind to; to leave at death; to leave in the possession or power of.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 183. Hie bileueð uncuðe men þe aihte.
1387. Trevisa, Higden, Rolls Ser. VI. 367. Þe kyngdom [they] byleft to Colwulfus.
c. 1410. Love, Bonavent. Mirr., vi. (Gibbs MS.). Lord to þe is bylafte [1530 belefte] þe pore peple.
1557. K. Arthur (Copland), VII. i. The two men … belefte him to Syr Kay.
2. To allow to remain over; to leave out of count or process: to pass over, let go, omit.
c. 1205. Lay., 29363. Ælcne bilefued mon he lette bilimien.
1297. R. Glouc., 173. He ne beleuede noȝt on.
c. 1450. Merlin, xvii. 276. And v C men that were hym be-lefte of the bataile.
3. To go away from (a person or place); to depart from, forsake, quit, abandon.
c. 1205. Lay., 8569. Lundene we mote bilæuen.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 110. And fluen alle vrom him & bilefden him ase vreomede.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, XXXV. 13456. A buyldyng … was of long tyme beleft, & no lede there.
b. fig. To turn from, forsake.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 81. He scal his sunne uor-saken and bileuen.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 394. Heo wule … bileauen þene deouel.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 9053. I haf bi-left mi lauerd lau.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 35. Trowth and lui es al bylaft.
c. To leave off, cease, give up, abandon (action).
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 93. Bileafden heo heore timbrunge.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 3344. Het hem þe assaut be-leue.
c. 1400. Solomon’s Bk. Wisd., 82. Ne bileue þou nouȝth to trauaile.
4. To let go (from one’s hold).
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 232. Hwon two bereð one burðene, & te oðer bileaueð hit.
II. intr. [taking place of BELIVE: = Ger. bleiben.]
5. To remain over, survive, be left in existence.
a. 1000. Psalms (Spelm.), cv[i]. 10. An of him ne belæfde [Vulg. non remansit].
1297. R. Glouc., 372. Þer ne byleuede noȝt … þat nas to grounde ybroȝt.
c. 1350. MS., in Archæol., XXX. 352. Of ye ewyll xal no thynge blewyn.
c. 1435. Torr. Portugal, 359. Had byn the gyant belevand, They had not partyd soo.
b. To remain behind in a place.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 3114. La! god it wot, sal ðe[r]-of bi-leuen non fot.
1340. Ayenb., 190. Yrobbed … zuo þet him naȝt ne blefte.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1595. Þe hedes on þe tre by-lafte.
a. 1400. Octouian, 1540. The Soudan … Bleft yn Fraunce, Cytes to brenne.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., lxi. 45. I beleft allone in my chambre.
c. To remain in a condition or state, to continue.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 87. Þe children weren clensed of sinnen and þus bilefden.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 671. Babel, ðat tur, bilef unmad.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 7662. Þer mani man fell vnder scheild, Bot with dauid be-left þe feild.
1340. Ayenb., 12. Þe mayde Marie blefte eure mayde.
c. 1430. Syr Gener., 5737. Here speres beleft hole booth.
6. To remain for the time being (in a place); to stay, abide, continue, dwell with (a person).
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 149. Ȝe moten … him, foleȝe and mid him bileue.
c. 1205. Lay., 19777. Ne dursten heo þer bilæfen.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 800. Abram … and sarray bileften bi-twen betel and ay.
1340. Ayenb., 245. Mid Him uor to bleve.
c. 1425. Seven Sag. (P.), 48. Gyf he schal byleve with me.
7. To be beleft was often used in the sense of ‘To remain, to be’; also ‘to be become of.’
c. 1340. Cursor M., 7736 (Trin.). His coupe his spere where mai hit be … Where be þei now bileued. Ibid., 18558. He wrouȝte bi wicche-craft And wiþ þe deuel was bilaft.
c. 1440. Bone Flor., 733. He ys beleft wyth Syr Garcy Ageyn you.
