The word "begone" is spelled with three syllables, pronounced as /bɪˈɡɒn/. The first syllable is pronounced with a short "i" sound, while the second syllable is stressed and pronounced with a long "o" sound. The final syllable is pronounced with a short "u" sound. The spelling of "begone" reflects the word's origin as a compound of "be" and "gone," with the "e" in "be" being dropped for convenience. The word means to depart or leave, often used as a forceful demand to someone to go away.
Begone is an interjection with origins in Old English, typically used as a commanding expression to urge someone or something to go away from a particular place or to leave a certain situation. It carries an imperative tone, emphasizing a sense of urgency or insistence.
This term is often employed to express strong annoyance, frustration, or dismissal towards someone or something. It is commonly used in the context of a confrontation or disagreement to demand the departure or disappearance of an unwanted person or object. "Begone" can also be directed at stray animals, pests, or nuisances that one wants to shoo away or remove from their vicinity.
The term "begone" is composed of two components: "be" and "gone." "Be" functions as a present tense imperative form of the verb "to be," while "gone" serves as a past participle of "to go." This combination reinforces the forceful demand for immediate eviction or disappearance.
Furthermore, "begone" can be seen as a more archaic and poetic alternative to the contemporary imperative phrases like "go away" or "get lost." The use of this term may denote a certain old-fashioned charm or literary flair in speech or writing.
Depart; go away, emphatically : woe-begone, oppressed with woe.
Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.
* The statistics data for these misspellings percentages are collected from over 15,411,110 spell check sessions on www.spellchecker.net from Jan 2010 - Jun 2012.
The word "begone" is derived from the Old English phrase "be gān", which literally means "to go away". It is a combination of the prefix "be-" indicating removal or separation and the verb "gān", meaning "to go". Over time, the phrase underwent phonetic changes and evolved into the single word "begone" in Modern English, maintaining its original meaning of "to depart" or "to leave".