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English word believe comes from Proto-Germanic *laubijaną, Proto-Indo-European *loyp-éye-, Proto-Germanic *lībaną (To remain, to be left.), Old English liefan, Proto-Germanic *bi- (By, at; a general locative prefix.)
*laubijaną (Proto-Germanic)
*loyp-éye- (Proto-Indo-European)
*lībaną (Proto-Germanic)
To remain, to be left.
liefan (Old English)
(transitive) to believe; trust; confide in. (transitive) to give leave; grant; allow; consent.
*bi- (Proto-Germanic)
By, at; a general locative prefix.
*bilaubijaną (Proto-Germanic)
To believe.
beliefan (Old English)
To believe.
*bilībaną (Proto-Germanic)
To stay, to remain in place.
belīefan (Old English)
*bilaibijaną (Proto-Germanic)
To cause to stay, to leave behind.
belǣfan (Old English)
belæfan (Old English)
To be left; remain.
bileven (Middle English)
believe (English)
(intransitive) To have religious faith; to believe in a greater truth.. (transitive) To accept as true, particularly without absolute certainty (i.e., as opposed to knowing). (transitive) To accept that someone is telling the truth.