Besay

//ˈbəsaj// noun, verb

noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    canoe paddle
Verb
  1. 1
    To say about (someone or something); get something across verbally or by saying; relay; signify; declare.

    ""Laughter," reproved Najib, cut to the soul by his chief's ridicule, "laughter is for hyenas — and for women! as I have besaid of often."

Example

More examples

""Laughter," reproved Najib, cut to the soul by his chief's ridicule, "laughter is for hyenas — and for women! as I have besaid of often."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English besayen, biseggen, from Old English beseċġan (“to announce, introduce; defend, excuse oneself; accuse”), from Proto-Germanic *bisagjaną, equivalent to be- (“about, concerning, across”) + say. Cognate with Dutch bezeggen, German besagen (“to say”).

Etymology 2

Inherited from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *bəʀsay. Cognate with Cebuano bugsay.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.