different between bespeak vs presume

English

Etymology

From Middle English bespeken, bispeken, from Old English *bespecan, besprecan (“to speak about, speak against, accuse of, claim at law, complain”), from Proto-Germanic *bisprekan? (“to discuss, blame”), equivalent to be- +? speak. Cognate with Scots bespeke (“to beseech, speak or negotiate with”), West Frisian besprekke (“to discuss”), Dutch bespreken (“to discuss, review, debate”), German besprechen (“to discuss, review, talk about”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b??spi?k/
• Rhymes: -i?k

Verb

bespeak (third-person singular simple present bespeaks, present participle bespeaking, simple past bespoke or (archaic) bespake, past participle bespoken or (archaic) bespoke)

1. (transitive) To speak about; tell of; relate; discuss.
   • 1711, Jonathan Swift, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 3, The Examiner, Number 44, page 244

     [They] bespoke dangers […] in order to scare the allies.

   • 2006, Janet Jaymes, Dirty Laundry: A Memoir:

     But to bespeak of a love, heavily weighed upon a heart, toward someone opposing those sentiments encourages foolish and embarrassing repercussions he will never know about.

2. (transitive) To speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance.
   • 1819, Sir Walter Scott, Ivanhoe

     concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favour

   • 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House

     I walked on into the village, with the desertion of this house upon my mind, and I found the landlord of the little inn, sanding his door-step. I bespoke breakfast, and broached the subject of the house.

3. (transitive) To stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour.

4. (transitive, archaic) To forbode; foretell.
5. (transitive, archaic, poetic) To speak to; address.
6. (transitive) To betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest; allude to.

   • When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little the figure of a man that it bespake him rather a monster.

   • This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking. […] He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment.

   • 1921, Printers' Ink, Volume 114, Page 50:

     Are they telling your story vividly, strikingly, in designs that command attention, in colors that bespeak distinction?
7. (intransitive) To speak up or out; exclaim; speak.

Derived terms

• bespeaker
• bespeaking
• bespoke

Translations

Noun

bespeak (plural bespeaks)

1. A request for a specific performance; a benefit performance, by a patron.
   • 1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

     "By the bye, I've been thinking of bringing out that piece of yours on her bespeak night."

     "When?", asked Nicholas.

     "The night of her bespeak. Her benefit night. When her friends and patrons bespeak the play."

     "Oh! I understand", replied Nicholas.

References

Anagrams

• bespake

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b??sp?k/
• (North Northern Scots) IPA^(key): /b??sp?k/

Verb

bespeak (third-person singular present bespeaks, present participle bespeakin, past bespak, past participle bespoken)

1. to bespeak

English

Alternative forms

• præsume (archaic)

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman presumer, Middle French presumer, and their source, Latin praes?mere (“to take beforehand, anticipate”), from prae- + s?mere (“to take”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /p???zju?m/
• (US) IPA^(key): /p?i?z(j)um/, /p???z(j)um/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): /p???zju?m/, /p????u?m/
• (General New Zealand) IPA^(key): /p???zj??m/, /p??????m/

Verb

presume (third-person singular simple present presumes, present participle presuming, simple past and past participle presumed)

1. (transitive) With infinitive object: to be so presumptuous as (to do something) without proper authority or permission. [from 14th c.]

   I wouldn't presume to tell him how to do his job.

2. (transitive, now rare) To perform, do (something) without authority; to lay claim to without permission. [from 14th c.]

   Don't make the decision yourself and presume too much.

3. (transitive) To assume or suggest to be true (without proof); to take for granted, to suppose. [from 14th c.]

   Paw-prints in the snow presume a visit from next door's cat.

   Dr. Livingstone, I presume?

   • 2011, John Patterson, The Guardian, 5 Feb 2011:

     If we presume that human cloning may one day become a mundane, everyday reality, then maybe it's time to start thinking more positively about our soon-to-arrive genetically engineered pseudo-siblings.

4. (intransitive) To be presumptuous; with on, upon, to take advantage (of), to take liberties (with). [from 15th c.]
   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Sonnet 22;

     Presume not on thy heart when mine is slain;

     Thou gavest me thine, not to give back again.

   • 1994, Nelson Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom, Abacus 2010, p. 75:

     Piliso then vented his anger on us, accusing us of lying to him. He said we had presumed on his hospitality and the good name of the regent.

Synonyms

• (to assume to be true): see Thesaurus:suppose

Related terms

• presumption
• presumptive
• presumptuous

Translations

Anagrams

• Supreme, eusperm, supreme, suprême

Italian

Verb

presume

1. third-person singular indicative present of presumere

Anagrams

• supreme

Portuguese

Verb

presume

1. inflection of presumir:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Spanish

Verb

presume

1. Informal second-person singular (tú) affirmative imperative form of presumir.
2. Formal second-person singular (usted) present indicative form of presumir.
3. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted^?) present indicative form of presumir.