Obs. Also 1 biʓwist, 3 biwest, buwist, beowust, beoust, bywist(e, -wyste. [OE. bí·wist, fem., f. bi-, BE- 1 + wist ‘being’ = OS., OHG., wist, Goth. wists:—OTeut. *wisti-z ‘being,’ f. wesan to be. Bí·wist is the sb. answering to a vb. *bi-we·san; cf. Goth. bi-wisan to be together, to feast, make merry, f. bi-, BE- 1 + wesan to be, remain. This word survived longest in the north; in later times the stress was shifted to the root-syllable, as in verbal be- compounds; cf. behote, beot, etc. With the senses cf. BEING.]
1. Food, provision, victual, a living.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xvii. He habban sceal þam þrym ʓeferscipum biwiste.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Oswald, in Saints’ Lines (Sweet, Reader, 102/223). He wolde … him biʓwiste syllan.
2. State or condition of life.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 133. Oðer [his] he[r] biwist. Ibid., 167. Þis holi man [Job] hadde þre biwistes.
c. 1205. Lay., 17809. Lauerd hu mid þe; hu beoð þine beouste.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 13832. He hates to cum to vr bewist.
3. Abiding, dwelling, sojourn, living.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 149. Wumme … þat min biwist is teȝed here swo longe.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 160. He was isuiled þuruh beouste [MS. T. ifuled þurh bewiste] among men.
4. Dwelling-place, abode, habitation.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 161. Ðis woreldes biwest is efned to wastene.
c. 1325. Metr. Hom., 69. To heuen, that bese thi beste bewyste.
c. 1375. Barbour, St. Cristofore, 269. Hame he passit til his bewist. Ibid., St. Catharine, 1118.
