Happened to; occurred to someone, usually something unfortunate or significant.
From Old English 'befeallan' (to fall to, befall). Combines 'be-' (to make) and 'fallen' (to fall). Originally meant 'fell upon' someone, then broadened to mean 'happened to' in general.
The word 'befell' is archaic and almost always suggests something bad happened—you never hear 'great fortune befell him,' but always 'disaster befell the kingdom'—which reveals how language encodes optimism or pessimism into its very structure.
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