English

become

/bɪˈkʌm/
begin to be; turn into (often with permanent states).

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    Origin

    A compound of the sources of be- + come.

    From Middle English becomen, bicumen, from Old English becuman (“to come (to), approach, arrive, enter, meet with, fall in with; happen, befall; befit”), from Proto-Germanic *bikwemaną (“to come around, come about, come across, come by”), equivalent to be- (“about, around”) + come. Cognate with Scots becum (“to come, arrive, reach a destination”), North Frisian bekommen, bykommen (“to come by, obtain, receive”), West Frisian bikomme (“to come by, obtain, receive”), Dutch bekomen (“to come by, obtain, receive”), German bekommen (“to get, receive, obtain”), Swedish bekomma (“to receive, concern”), Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽 (biqiman, “to come upon one, befall”). Sense of "befit, suit" due to influence from Middle English cweme, icweme, see queem. Displaced Old English weorþan.

    From Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.

    Lineage

    • rootProto-Indo-European*gʷem- “to come, step”
    • prefixEnglishbe- “By, near, next to, around, close to.”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishbi-
        • inheritedOld Englishbe- “be-”
        • derivedOld Englishbī- “by, near, around”
    • inheritedMiddle Englishbecomen
      • inheritedOld Englishbecuman “to come (to), approach, arrive, enter, meet with, fall in with; happen, befall; befit”
        • inheritedProto-Germanic*bikwemaną “to come around, come about, come across, come by”
    • partEnglishcome “To move nearer to the point of perspective.”
      • inheritedMiddle Englishcomen
        • inheritedOld Englishcuman

    Related: Scots becum, North Frisian bekommen, West Frisian bikomme, Dutch bekomen, German bekommen, Swedish bekomma, Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌵𐌹𐌼𐌰𐌽

    Sources