betake

• IPA^(key): /bɪˈteɪk/

• Audio (Southern England)

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• Rhymes: -eɪk

From Middle English bitaken, equivalent to be- +‎ take. Cognate with Danish betage (“to take, deprive, cut off”), Swedish beta (“to take, deprive, cut off”).

betake (third-person singular simple present betakes, present participle betaking, simple past betook, past participle betaken)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To take over to; take across (to); deliver.
2. (transitive, obsolete) To seize; lay hold of; take. [from 15th c.]
   • 1891, Mary Noailles Murfree, In the "Stranger People's" Country, Nebraska, published 2005, page 194:

     a rain-cloud [...] had betaken a dusky brown color, and about its lower verge a fringe of fine straight lines of rain was suggested [...].

3. (reflexive, literary) To take oneself to; go or move; repair; resort; have recourse. [from 17th c.]
   • a. 1657, Joseph Hall, “Observations on Some Specialties of Divine Providence in the Life of Jos. Hall, Bishop of Norwich”, in The Shaking of the Olive-Tree. The Remaining Works of that Incomparable Prelate Joseph Hall, D.D. […], London: […] J. Cadwel for J[ohn] Crooke, […], published 1660, →OCLC, page 22:

     One morning as I lay in my bed, a ſtrong motion vvas ſuddenly glanced into my thoughts of going to London; I aroſe and betook me to the vvay, […]

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:

     The rest, in imitation, to like arms / Betook them.

   • 1760, Edmund Burke, “An Essay towards an Abridgment of the English History. […]. Chapter I. Causes of the Connexion between the Romans and Britains.—Cæsar’s Two Invasions of Britain.”, in [Walker King], editor, The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, new edition, volume X, London: […] [R. Gilbert] for C[harles] and J[ohn] Rivington, […], published 1826, →OCLC, book I, page 173:

     On the slightest loss they betook themselves to treaty and submission; upon the least appearance in their favour they were as ready to resume their arms, without any regard to their former engagements;—a conduct, which demonstrates, that our British ancestors had no regular polity with a standing coercive power.

   • 1831, Catherine Grace Frances Gore, The Tuileries, volume III, page 175:

     […] the shepherds of Desvres were seen at a distance betaking themselves to the insufficient shelter of the turfen hovels dotted upon the cote to afford them a retreat from the vicissitudes of the atmosphere.

   • 1885–1888, Richard F[rancis] Burton, transl. and editor, “Night 12”, in A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights’ Entertainments, now Entituled The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night […], Shammar edition, volume (please specify the volume), [London]: […] Burton Club […], →OCLC:

     I was glad of my arrival for I was wearied with the way, and yellow of face for weakness and want; but my plight was pitiable and I knew not whither to betake me.

   • 1888–1891, Herman Melville, “[Billy Budd, Foretopman.] Chapter XII.”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC:

     [H]he mechanically rose, and sleepily wondering what could be in the wind, betook himself to the designated place […]

   • 1950 January, David L. Smith, “A Runaway at Beattock”, in Railway Magazine, page 53:

     Accordingly, Mitchell and his fireman, apparently without removing the engine from the up line, set to work and disconnected the motion on the defective side, after which Fireman Richardson, who probably had done the lion's share of the work, betook himself to the refreshment room and had a cup of coffee.

4. (reflexive, archaic) To commit to a specified action. [from 16th c.]
5. (transitive, archaic) To commend or entrust to; to commit to.
6. (intransitive, archaic) To take oneself. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

• wend

From Middle English betaken, bitaken, in form equivalent to be- +‎ take, however, in sense from betæcen, betechen (“to beteach”). More at beteach.

betake (third-person singular simple present betakes, present participle betaking, simple past betook, past participle betaken)

1. (transitive) To beteach.

• “betake”, in Cambridge English Dictionary, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, 1999–present.
• “betake”, in Collins English Dictionary.