Biest

See also: biest

Dutch

Etymology

First attested as Biest in 1838-1857. Derived from bies (“rush, Scirpus sp.”) with collectivising suffix -t. The toponym may also refer to the practice of using relatively open locations covered with rushes as meeting places and village squares.

See also Limburgish Beest.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bist/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Biest
• Rhymes: -ist
• Homophone: biest

Proper noun

Biest n

1. A neighbourhood of Weert, Limburg, Netherlands

References

• van Berkel, Gerard, Samplonius, Kees (2018) “biest”, in Nederlandse plaatsnamen verklaard‎ (in Dutch), Mijnbestseller.nl, →ISBN

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biːst/

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

Via Middle Low German and/or West Central German from Middle Dutch beest, itself from Old French beste, from Latin bēstia. Doublet of Bestie.

Noun

Biest n (strong, genitive Biestes or Biests, plural Biester)

1. (usually derogatory) animal, beast, any kind but especially an annoying one, e.g. an insect, pest, aggressive dog, etc.

   Synonym: Viech

2. (by extension) someone who behaves in an antisocial manner

Declension

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	das	Biest	die	Biester
genitive	eines	des	Biestes, Biests	der	Biester
dative	einem	dem	Biest, Bieste1	den	Biestern
accusative	ein	das	Biest	die	Biester

Declension of Biest [neuter, strong]

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• biestig
• Biestigkeit
• Feierbiest

Related terms

• Bestie

Etymology 2

From Middle High German biest, from Old High German biost, from Proto-West Germanic *beust.^[1]

Noun

Biest m (strong, genitive Biestes or Biests, no plural)

1. beestings (first milk of a cow after giving birth)

Declension

	singular
	indef.	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Biest
genitive	eines	des	Biestes, Biests
dative	einem	dem	Biest, Bieste1
accusative	einen	den	Biest

Declension of Biest [sg-only, masculine, strong]

¹Now rare, see notes.

Derived terms

• Biestmilch

References

1. Friedrich Kluge (1995) “Biest m., Biestmilch f.”, in Elmar Seebold, editor, Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache [Etymological Dictionary of the German Language] (in German), 23rd edition, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, →ISBN, page 109

Further reading

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