Middle English word beofian comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰoyh₂-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰoyǝ-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰeyH-, and later Proto-Germanic *bibjaną (To tremble, shiver.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *bʰoyh₂- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bʰoyǝ- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bʰeyH- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bibjaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | To tremble, shiver. |
| beofian | Old English (ang) | |
| bivien | Middle English (enm) |