An archaic past tense verb meaning to promise, vow, or declare something; to be named or called.
From Old English 'behatan,' combining 'be-' + 'hatan' (to command, name). In Middle English, it evolved to mean 'was called' or 'was named,' used to introduce characters in narratives.
Medieval romances use 'behight' constantly: 'There was a knight behight Sir Gawain'—it's a marker of old literary style, creating that 'once upon a time' feeling with a single archaic word.
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