Obs. Forms: Nom. and Acc. masc. 1 beʓen, 2–3 Orm. beȝȝen, 3 bæien, beien(e, beine, beie, beye, 4 baye, bayne, beyne; fem., in ME. common and neuter, 1 bá, 2–3 ba, 3 boa, 3–4 bo, 5 boo; neuter, 1 bu; Genitive. 1 beʓ(r)a, 2 beira, 2–4 beire, 3 beyre, 4 beyer; Dative. 1 bám, bǽm, 3 ba. [OE. beʓen, ba, bu, answer to Goth. nom. masc. bai, neut. ba, acc. masc. bans, dat. baim, the stem being a Gothic ba-, OTeut. bo-, which occurs also with a prefixed element in Skr. u-bha-, Gr. ἀμ-φο-, L. am-bo-, OSlav. o-bo-, both. In the other Teutonic langs. (exc. for the ON. gen. pl. beggja) this simple form is replaced by one with a suffixal extension: see BOTH.] The earlier word for BOTH.
a. as simple adjective.
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., II. 258. Micel sar on þam sidum.
c. 1205. Lay., 9804. A ba [c. 1275 boþe] halue. Ibid. (c. 1275), 22588. His sones beine.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 990. Þat ut berste bo þin(e) eȝe.
c. 1330. Syr Degarré, 2. Maken him lesen hise stiropes bayne.
b. in concord or apposition with a pronoun.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Matt. xv. 14. Hiʓ feallað beʓen on ænne pytt.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 103. Hi ba habbeð unafillendliche gredinesse.
c. 1200. Ormin, 15091. Þatt Hallȝhe Frofre Gast Þatt cumeþþ off hemm beȝȝenn.
c. 1205. Lay., 14811. Hali men heo weoren bæien [c. 1275 beiene].
1297. R. Glouc., 284. Seyn Edward and Aeldred, þat kynges were beye.
a. 1300. Floriz & Bl., 730. Ȝe schulle deie togadere bo.
c. 1325. Chron. Eng., 348, in Ritson, Met. Rom., II. 284. Hy were beyne yfond.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 1529. Ther thai gun to rest baye.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (1865), I. 419. There were Merlyns tweyne And prophecied alle beyne.
a. 1450. Myrc, 3. In to þe dyche þey fallen boo.
c. gen. pl. oure, ȝure, here beyre: of us, you, them both. Cf. ure ealra, oure aller, etc. in ALL D 4.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 99. Þe feder, and his sune and heore beira gast.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 1582. On thare beire nede.
c. 1300. Beket, 2455. Bi here beire rede.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXI. 36. And deme here beyer ryght.
d. absol.
a. 1000. Elene, 889 (Gr.). Gador bu samod lic and sawl.
c. 1205. Lay., 281. Þæt boa sculde fallen: fader & his moder. Ibid., 17952. Þu scalt beien [c. 1275 beiene] slæ þer Passent and Gillomar.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 60. Bo beoð heaued sunne.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 7. Godes brude & his freo dohter, for ba to gederes ha is.
e. Frequently strengthened by the addition of two: OE. bá twá, butu, ME. bo two, of all genders. [Cf. It. ambidue.]
a. 1000. Cædmon’s Gen., 765 (Gr.). Sorʓedon bá twá, Adam and Eue.
a. 1100. O. E. Chron., an. 871 (Laud MS.). Æðered and Ælfred his broðor … hi butu ʓeflymdon.
c. 1205. Lay., 2399. Mid childe heo weren ba twa [c. 1275 boþe two].
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 212. Heo sleateð adun bon two hore earen.
