# bescheren
## Dutch
### Etymology

From Middle Dutch bescheren. Equivalent to be- +‎ scheren (“order, arrange, prepare”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /bəˈsxeː.rə(n)/
* Hyphenation: be‧sche‧ren
* Rhymes: -eːrən

### Verb

bescheren
* (transitive) to determine, to allot

#### Conjugation

The weak conjugation is obsolete.

#### Derived terms

* toebescheren

## German
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [bəˈʃeːʁən]
* Audio:(file)

### Etymology 1

From Middle High German beschern (“to preordain, destine, allot, distribute”), from Old High German biskerren, biskerien, from a prefixed formation related to Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”), with sense development "divide, cut" > "allocate" > "give (Christmas gifts)". Compare Yiddish באַשערט (bashert, “predestined”).

#### Verb

bescheren (weak, third-person singular present beschert, past tense bescherte, past participle beschert, auxiliary haben)
* (transitive) to present as a gift (especially Christmas presents) [with accusative ‘someone’ and mit (+ dative) ‘with something’]
* (transitive) to give (Christmas) presents to (someone)
    Wir bescheren die Kinder nach dem Abendessen.We give (Christmas) presents to the children after dinner.
* (transitive) to grant, to provide, to bestow, to bring [with accusative ‘something’ and dative ‘to someone’]
    Dieser Talisman wird dir viel Glück bescheren.This talisman will bring you good luck.

##### Usage notes

* In the Christmas sense, bescheren retains its original association with the transcendent to some degree inasmuch as the subject is usually the Christkind or Weihnachtsmann, and only rarely a normal person.
    Grimm explains the difference between geben and bescheren:
       Geben und schenken können sich gleiche oder ungleiche untereinander, ja der arme mag dem reichen etwas geben;
       bescheren aber und verleihen geht aus von einer höheren oder der höchsten hand.
    Thus, bescheren is always associated with some kind of higher power, like nature, future, fate, God or gods.

##### Conjugation

$^1$Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.

##### Derived terms

* Bescheren f
* Bescherung f

### Etymology 2

From Middle High German beschern (“to shave someones hair, to cut hair”), from Old High German biskeran, from Proto-West Germanic *biskeran, ultimately related to Etymology 1 via a more literal sense development.

#### Verb

bescheren (weak or class 4 strong, third-person singular present beschert or ([obsolete]) beschirt, past tense bescherte or beschor, past participle beschert or beschoren, past subjunctive bescherte or beschäre, auxiliary haben)
* (transitiv, archaic, regional) to trim, to cut
* (transitiv, obsolete) to shave, cut someone's hair

##### Conjugation

The obsolete strong form beschir- also applied to the first present singular: ich beschir.
$^1$[obsolete]. $^2$Rare except in very formal contexts; alternative in würde normally preferred.

##### Derived terms

* Bescheren f

### References

* ↑ Wolfgang Pfeifer, editor (1993), “bescheren”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Deutschen (in German), 2nd edition, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN

### Further reading

* “bescheren” in Duden online
* “bescheren” in Duden online
* “bescheren” in Deutsches Wörterbuch von Jacob und Wilhelm Grimm, 16 vols., Leipzig 1854–1961.
* “bescheren” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
* “bescheren” in OpenThesaurus.de