Where did the word "beheaded" come from? I mean the "be" part....

mike1963

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:09 PM
Original message

Where did the word "beheaded" come from? I mean the "be" part....

we occasionally use "decapitated"...the prefix "de" normally means 'absent', 'without','opposite', etc., and has morphed its way into many words such as "deprived" ("no privilege"), "decompose" (an opposite),
"destruct" (another opposite as...er, 'opposed' to CONstruct"...)

IOW, I'm just wondering why we don't say "deheaded"......

(I have a tool called a 'drum deheader' which is a very large can opener we use on 55 gallon containers)

English a weird language is.

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Forkboy

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:13 PM
Response to Original message

1. This is my favorite post of the day

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RoyGBiv

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:14 PM
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2. Be-

The "be-" prefix in this context means "away from."

And, yes, it is a weird language. :-)

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Lydia Leftcoast

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:15 PM
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3. The "be-" prefixes are Anglo-Saxon

while the "de-" prefixes are from Latin by way of French.

Other "be-" words include:

benighted
becalmed
bedeviled
bedraggled
befuddled
belittle

I don't know what the prefix means by itself, though.

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Forkboy

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:18 PM
Response to Reply #3

4. well color me defuddled

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graham67

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:22 PM
Response to Reply #4

5. Defuddled...

and demused :shrug:

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Gildor Inglorion

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:23 PM
Response to Reply #3

6. beset, bewildered, bewitched

All the rest seem to mean the opposite of what "be"headed means. Curious.

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Bjornsdotter

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:30 PM
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7. English....

Hi,

For every rule in English grammar there is at least one exception and it appears that the word beheaded is the exception to the be- rule.

Be- the prefix normally means "to make, to cause or become" or "to cover, on or over" except in the case of behead where it means "to remove".

Cheers,
Kim

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ElsewheresDaughter

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Fri Jun-18-04 10:33 PM
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8. yeah ya would think it would be "de" headed

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phoebe

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Fri Jun-18-04 11:23 PM
Response to Original message

9. on the history of beheading..

http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.uk/behead.html

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