bequest
UK[bɪˈkwest]US[bɪˈkwest]
n
Something, such as property or money, that is given to someone through a will after the giver's death.
n
The act of giving or leaving something through a will.
Morpheme Breakdown
be
quest
be
quest
a search or pursuit.
Etymology
The word "bequest" originates from the combination of the Old English verbal prefix be- and the noun "quest," which entered English from Old French queste, itself derived from Latin quaesta, the feminine past participle of quaerere ("to seek, ask"). In its earliest legal usage in Middle English, "bequest" literally meant "to say thoroughly" or "to declare," referring to the act of formally stating one's wishes. Over time, the meaning specialized to the act of leaving property by a will, a declaration made about one's possessions. The modern sense, focusing on the item left behind rather than the act of declaring, solidified by the 15th century, completing the journey from the literal act of seeking or asking to the legal concept of a posthumous gift.
Analysis
Structure: be + quest
- be: A prefix of Germanic origin (from Old English bi-, be-), often used to form verbs with a sense of "about, around, thoroughly."
- quest: A root of Latin origin (from quaerere "to seek, ask"), functioning as a noun meaning "a search or pursuit."
Examples
The library received a generous bequest of rare books from the late professor.
She used the bequest from her aunt to fund her university education.
According to his will, the largest bequest was left to charity.