Obs. Forms: 3 byquide, 4 bekuyde, -quide, 5 beqweth, 6 bequede, bequeth, 7 bequeath. [ME. byquide:—OE. bí·cwide, biʓ·cwide, quotable only in sense of ‘by-word, proverb’ (cf. BEQUEATH v. 1), f. bí-, emphatic form of bi-, BE- pref. + cwide a sentence, a saying, cogn. w. OS. quidi, OHG. chwiti:—OTeut. *qidi-z, f. qiþan (OS. quethan, queðan, OE. cweðan) to say; pa. pple. (with grammatical consonant-change) OE. cweden. In later times, gradually assimilated in form to the vb. BEQUEATH.]
1. Byword, proverb. (Only in OE.)
c. 1000. Ælfric, Deut. xxviii. 37. Ge forwurðaþ þurh biʓspell and biʓcwidas.
2. Bequest, testament, will.
1297. R. Glouc., 384. Gret folc he sende also Fram Normandye to worry, & hys fader byquide vndo.
1340. Ayenb., 38. Kueade exequitours of bekuydes.
1490. Church-w. Acc. St. Dunstan’s, Canterb., Rec. the full of the beqweth of Mother Belser xxxiijs. iiijd.
1527. Lanc. & Chesh. Wills (1854), 35. All the foresaid gyftes and bequedes.
1642. Fragm. Reg., in Select. Harl. Misc. (1793), 185. They may express more affection to one in the abundance of bequeaths.
b. fig.
1340. Ayenb., 112. He hit ous let: at his [Christ’s] yleaue nymynge and at his laste bequide.
a. 1617. Bayne, On Eph. 11. Peace is that golden bequeath which Christ did leave us.
