Belive

Pronunciation

• enPR: bÄ­lÄ«v'
• UK IPA: /bɪˈlaɪv/
• GenAm IPA: /bəˈlaɪv/Rhymes: -aɪv

From Middle English beliven, from Old English belīfan ("to remain"), from Proto-Germanic *bilībaną ("to remain"), from Proto-Indo-European *lip- ("to stick, glue"). Cognate with West Frisian bliuwe ("to stay"), Dutch blijven ("to remain"), German bleiben ("to remain"), Danish blive ("to be, remain"). More at leave.

Alternative forms

• bilive, blive
• bleve, bileve, bilave, blewe

Full definition of belive

Verb

1. (intransitive, obsolete except in dialect) To remain, stay.
• 1900 (original date: 1483), Jacobus (de Voragine), William Caxton, Frederick Startridge Ellis, The golden legend, or, Lives of the saints:So there bleveth no more, but I that am servant to the spirit, may lie down and die. In which death I glorify myself, but I am greatly troubled in my mind, that my riches which I had ordained to God be wasted and spent in foul things.
2. (intransitive, obsolete except in dialect) To abide, continue.

Related terms

• belave (2)
• beleave

From Middle English belive, bilife ("actively", literally, "by life"). More at by, life.

Alternative forms

• blive

Adverb

1. (obsolete except Scotland) Quickly, forthwith.
• 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, I.v:By that same way the direfull dames doe driue
  Their mournefull charet, fild with rusty blood,
  And downe to Plutoes house are come biliue ....
2. (dialectal, , chiefly Scotland) Soon, presently, before long; by and by; anon