began

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, UK) IPA^(key): /bɪˈɡæn/
• (General American, US) IPA^(key): /bɪˈɡæn/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æn
• Hyphenation: be‧gan

Verb

began

1. simple past tense of begin
2. (obsolete) past participle of begin

Anagrams

• Bange, abeng, benga

Verb

began

1. first-person and third-person singular past indicative of beginnen

Etymology

From be- +‎ gān. Cognate with Old High German bigān.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /beˈɡɑːn/

Verb

begān

1. to bego, go over, traverse; get to, come by, fall into
2. to go to, visit, care for, cultivate, affect

   Se ðe æcer begǽþ. — He who cultivates land (acre) … a farmer

3. to occupy, inhabit, dwell, surround, besiege, overrun

   Hí ðone búr útan beeódon. — They surrounded the dwelling outside.

4. to practise, do, engage in, perform, commit, exercise, attend to, be diligent about, honor, serve, worship, profess; pledge, devote, train oneself

   He begǽþ unmǽtas — He commits gluttonies. (Deut. 21, 20)

   Begá ðé sylfne to árfæstnysse — Train thyself to godliness. (1 Tim. 4, 7)