To be suitable, appropriate, or worthy for someone or something; to be in keeping with.
From 'be-' prefix plus 'fit'. 'Fit' comes from Old Norse 'fitja' (to knit or be fitting). The prefix 'be-' transforms it into a complete verb meaning 'to be suitable for' or 'to suit'. This is one of the most successful 'be-' words, still used today.
Unlike most 'be-' words that faded away, 'befit' survived into modern English because it fills a unique semantic niche—'fit' alone doesn't quite work as 'That behavior befits a gentleman,' showing that some prefix combinations become essential enough to persist through linguistic evolution.
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