Appropriate, suitable, proper, and graceful in appearance or behavior; becoming and fitting.
From 'beseem' (verb) plus the adjectival suffix '-ly,' which creates adjectives meaning 'having the quality of.' Similar formations include 'seemly,' 'comely,' and 'homely.' The 'be-' prefix adds emphasis to the root concept.
Medieval writers preferred 'beseemly' over plain 'fitting'—it has a musicality and formality that plain adjectives lack. The '-ly' ending (which originally meant 'body-like' in Old English) creates words that feel both elegant and judgmental.
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