bequeath

C1 Topic:Actions & Processes

US /bɪˈkwiːθ/ UK /bɪˈkwiːθ/ See IPA manual

Freq #26506

Meanings

1

verb
To leave money or property to someone in your will after you die.

She bequeathed her entire art collection to the national museum.
2

verb
To pass something down to people who come after you.

The ancient Greeks bequeathed many ideas to modern philosophy.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 verb · to leave money or property... leave

2 verb · to pass something down to... transmit

Word family

Forms bequeathedbequeathingbequeaths

Derived forms bequeathablebequeathalbequeatherbequeathmentunbequeathed

Related forms bequestquethequoth

Simplified etymology

Bequeath comes from Old English becwethan, formed from be-, “about,” and cwethan, “say.” Its connection with speaking reflects a period when wills were often delivered orally rather than written down.

Etymology

From Middle English biquethen, from Old English becweþan (“to say, to speak, to address, exhort, admonish, blame, bequeath, leave by will”), equivalent to be- + quethe. Cognate with Old Frisian biquetha.

*gʷet- Proto-Indo-European biquethen Middle English becweþan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# bequeath

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈkwiːθ/
**IPA (UK):** /bɪˈkwiːθ/
**Frequency rank:** 26506

## Meanings
1. To leave money or property to someone in your will after you die.
2. To pass something down to people who come after you.

## Examples
- She bequeathed her entire art collection to the national museum.
- The ancient Greeks bequeathed many ideas to modern philosophy.

## Synonyms
- leave

## Derived Forms
- bequeathable
- bequeathal
- bequeather
- bequeathment
- unbequeathed

## Related Forms
- bequest
- quethe
- quoth

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *gʷet-
- Root: biquethen
- Root: becweþan

## Etymology
From Middle English biquethen, from Old English becweþan (“to say, to speak, to address, exhort, admonish, blame, bequeath, leave by will”), equivalent to be- + quethe. Cognate with Old Frisian biquetha.

## AI Etymology
Bequeath is from Middle English biquethen, from Old English becweþan (“to say, to speak, to address, exhort, admonish, blame, bequeath, leave by will”), equivalent to be- + quethe. Cognate with Old Frisian biquetha. In present-day use, it can mean to leave money or property to someone in your will after you die, or to pass something down to people who come after you. Derived formations include bequeathable, bequeathal, bequeather, bequeathment, and unbequeathed.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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