English word behold comes from Proto-Germanic *haldaną, Old English healdan, Proto-Germanic *bi- (By, at; a general locative prefix.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *haldaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| healdan | Old English (ang) | (intransitive) to maintain one’s position against an enemy. To contain. To hold fast, to grasp. To keep watch over (cattle etc.). To possess. |
| *bi- | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | By, at; a general locative prefix. |
| *bihaldaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To keep. |
| behealdan | Old English (ang) | To do, perform. To hold, occupy, retain. To look upon, behold. |
| beholden | Middle English (enm) | |
| behold | English (eng) | (transitive) To see, or to look at. Lo!. Look, a call of attention to something. |