Third person singular of becurse; to curse or afflict someone thoroughly.
From Middle English 'be-' prefix (meaning 'to make' or 'thoroughly') combined with 'curse,' which comes from Old English 'curs.' The prefix intensified the meaning of curse starting in Middle English around the 1200s.
The 'be-' prefix is a linguistic supercharger that Old and Middle English writers loved—it transformed simple verbs into something more dramatic and complete. You can see it working in words like 'befriend,' 'bewitch,' and 'bedazzle,' where 'be-' makes the action feel more total and all-encompassing.
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