Dictionary

betide en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /bɪˈtaɪd/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (Southern-England) audio
• /bəˈtaɪd/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English bityden [and other forms]; from bi- (prefix forming verbs, usually with a completive, figurative, or intensive sense) + tyden (“to come about, happen, occur; to befall, become of, happen to (someone); to be the fate of (someone); to await (someone); to fare, get along”); tyden is derived from Old English tīdan (“to befall, betide, happen”), related to tīd (“time; season; hour”) (both ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deh₂- (“to divide, share”) or its extended form *deh₂-y-, whence *dh₂ítis (“time”)) + -an (suffix forming the infinitive of most verbs). The English word is analysable as be- + tide (“(obsolete) to happen, occur”).

Meanings

1. (dated, literary, transitive, used in the subjunctive, usually) Often used in a prediction (chiefly in woe betide) or a wish: to happen to (someone or something); to befall.
   • But woe betide the wandering wight, / That treads its circle in the night. 1808 February 22, Walter Scott, “Canto Third. The Hostel, or Inn.”, in Marmion; a Tale of Flodden Field, Edinburgh: […] J[ames] Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Company, […]; London: William Miller, and John Murray, →OCLC, stanza XXV, page 157:
   • Why wayle we then? why weary we the Gods with playnts, / As if ſome euill were to her betight? / She raignes a goddeſſe now emong the ſaintes, / That whilome was the ſaynt of ſhepheardes light: / And is enſtalled nowe in heauens hight. 1579, Immeritô [pseudonym; Edmund Spenser], “Nouember. Ægloga Vndecima.”, in The Shepheardes Calender: […], London: […] Hugh Singleton, […], →OCLC, folio 46, verso:
   • Why, how now, countrymen! Why flock you thus to me in multitudes? What accident's betided to the Jews? c. 1589–1590 (date written), Christopher Marlo[we], edited by Tho[mas] Heywood, The Famous Tragedy of the Rich Iew of Malta. […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Nicholas Vavasour, […], published 1633, →OCLC, Act I:
   • Whether good or ill betide you, trust in yourself.
   • More health and happines betide my liege, / Then can my care tunde tongue deliuer him. 1595 December 9 (first known performance), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedie of King Richard the Second. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
   • Ill betide those foul birds that delight to file their own nest, and disgust the ear with perpetual discord of ill-omened croak. 1845 July and August, John O’Sullivan, “Annexation”, in United States Magazine and Democratic Review, volume 17, number 1, page 2:
2. (dated, intransitive, literary) Chiefly in the third person: to happen; to take place; to bechance, to befall.
   • The death of my ſon betiding while my ſoul was under this anxiety, I thought of nothing but reſigning my dominions, and retiring for ever from the ſight of mankind. 1764 December 24 (indicated as 1765), Onuphrio Muralto, translated by William Marshal [pseudonyms; Horace Walpole], chapter III, in The Castle of Otranto, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Lownds […], →OCLC, pages 107–108:
   • [W]ipe thou thine eyes, haue comfort, / The direfull ſpectacle of the wracke which touch'd / The very vertue of compaſſion in thee: / I haue with ſuch prouiſion in mine Art / So ſafely ordered, that there is no ſoule / No not ſo much perdition as an hayre / Betid to any creature in the veſſel / Which thou heardſt cry, which thou ſaw'ſt ſinke: […] 1610–1611 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tempest”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], page 2, column 1:
   • Be not dismayed whate'er betide, / God will take care of you; / Beneath his wings of love abide, / God will take care of you. 1904, “God Will Take Care of You”, Civilla Durfee Martin (lyrics), Walter Stillman Martin (music):
   • If he were dead what would betide of me. c. 1593 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Tragedy of King Richard the Third. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Valentine Sims [and Peter Short] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1597, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

Forms

Deriveds

woe betide

Synonyms

occur · come to pass · transpire · beworth · bechance · belimp · betide · befall · transpire · tide · betime · evene · betime · come to pass · occur · pass · hap · come about · eventuate · hold · tide · take place · happen · behap · crop up · chance · go on

Translations (18)

cs stát se ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · hu történik ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · bg сполитам ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · cs přihodit se ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · de beschieden sein ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · cs stát se ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · de zuteilwerden ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · de ereilen ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · nb hende ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · cs přihodit se ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · ru случа́ться ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · nb vederfares ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · ru происходи́ть ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · yol beteede ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · hu történik ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · ru случи́ться ((transitive) to happen to (someone or something)) · bg случвам се ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall) · ar نَهَرَ ((intransitive) to happen; to take place — see also bechance, befall)