Obs. Forms: 1 béʓan, bíeʓan, bíʓan, býʓan, 2 beiȝen, 2–4 beien, 3–4 beie, beighe(n, beyghe(n, 4 bie, buyen, buȝen, 9 dial. bay. [Com. Teut.: OE. Anglian bęʓan, WSax. bíęʓan, bíʓan, býʓan wk. vb. = OFris. bêja, ON. beygja (Sw. böja, Da. böie), OHG. bougen (MHG. böugen, mod.G. beugen), MDu. bôghen, Goth. baugjan, causal of biugan, baug, in OE. búʓan, béah to bow (intr.). In the 13th c. there was confusion between this verb, and the primary buȝen to BOW, partly because both verbs began to be used both transitively and intransitively, partly because of the ambiguity of the letter u (= ū or ü), so that buȝen might be for OE. búʓan, or OE. býʓan. At length the strong verb took also a weak past buȝede, buhde: see BOW. Bey, bay, is not found in literature after the 14th c., but seems to have survived in dialects.]
1. trans. To bend, cause to bow.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxv. Hwelcne boh … swelce þu beʓan mæʓe.
c. 1000. Ags. Gosp., Mark xv. 19. [Hi] heora cneow biʓdon.
c. 1160. Hatt. G., ibid. Hire cneow beiʓdon.
a. 1225. Juliana, 77. Wið [þat] ilke ha beide hire & beah duuelunge adun bihefdet to þer eorðe.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 3. Bei þin eare, þat is beo buhsum to mi lare.
c. 1300. Beket, 1529. Whan i ne mai his hurte so buye.
a. 1325. Maximon, in Rel. Ant., I. 122. He chaungeþ al my ble, Ant buȝeþ me to grounde.
[1851. Cumberl. Gloss., Bay, to bend.]
2. intr. To bend, bow.
c. 1205. Lay., 1051. Ah he mot nede beien þe mon þe ibun den bið.
a. 1225. St. Marher., 7. Buh nu ant bei to me. Ibid., 22. Ant te bodi beide . ant beh to þer eorðe.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 15. Þat hit ne breke ne beie.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 4373. Theo spere was styf and nought no beyghed.
