adv. and prep. Forms: 1 be-ufan, 1–2 bufan, bufon, 2–3 bufen, buuen, buven, buve, 3–4 boven, bove. [ME. bove(n, earlier buven, bufen:—OE. bufan, earlier be-ufan, a West Ger. compound (OS. bi-oƀan, Du. boven), f. bi-, BY, beside + ufan (OS. oƀan, OHG. oban, obana), OTeut. *ufana, uƀana from above, above, f. uf up + -ana suffix orig. expressing motion from.]
† 1. (In OE. and early ME.) The earlier and simpler form of ABOVE. Obs.
The compound a-bufan appeared in the 12th c. in the north and n.e. as an adverbial form; by the end of 13th c. abuven was also prepositional, and generally used instead of buven, buve; and in 14th c. bove became obsolete. The following examples show the forms; the development of meaning will be found under ABOVE.
a. 940. Laws of Æthelstan, iv. 4 (Bosw.). Swa we her beufan cwædon.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Manual of Astron., 1. Eall swa deop under þyssre eorðan, swa heo is bufan.
c. 1205. Lay., 26564. And smat hine buuen þan scelde.
c. 1315. Shoreham, 117. Al that hys bove and under molde.
c. 1390[?]. Forme of Cury (ed. Pegge), 75. Plant it boue with prunes and damysyns.
2. In modern English ’bove, bove, is an occasional shortening of ABOVE, in verse.
1591. Spenser, Ruines of Time, 110. Lifting up her brave heroick thought Bove womens weaknes.
1610. Shaks., Temp., II. i. 118. ’Boue the contentious waues.
c. 1630. Drummond, Poems, Wks. (1711), 37. ’Bove other far esteem’d.
1886. Plumptre, Dante, Hell, I. 13. But when I reached a point ’bove which did tower A mount.
Bove: see BUS v. = behoves.
