† abedev.

Etymology: Apparently < a- prefix¹ + Old English bēodan to announce, proclaim (see bid v.¹); perhaps also partly a variant (with reduced form of prefix: see discussion at a- prefix¹) of Old English onbēodan to command, to proclaim, cognate with or formed similarly to Old Frisian undbiāda , undbiēda to announce, to order to come, Middle Dutch ontbieden to command, to announce, to proclaim, to order to come, to offer (Dutch ontbieden ), Old Saxon anbiodan to announce, to proclaim (Middle Low German enbēden ), Old High German inbiotan to command, to announce, to proclaim (Middle High German enbieten , German entbieten ) < the Germanic base of and- prefix + the Germanic base of Old English bēodan (see above).In Old English a strong verb of Class II; strong forms survive into Middle English. In Old English the word had a wider range of senses than in Middle English, e.g. ‘to announce, to make public, to preach, to command, to ordain, to offer’ (compare the senses of bid v.¹). Compare also Old English abiddan to ask for, to demand, to pray, to pray for, to obtain by asking or prayer (early Middle English abidde to pray, to pray for) < a- prefix¹ + Old English biddan (see bid v.¹).