different between bespoke vs bespeak

English

Etymology

In sense “custom-made”, 1755, from earlier bespoken (c. 1600), form of bespeak, in sense “arrange beforehand” (1580s), a prefixed variant of speak; compare order, made-to-order.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /b??sp??k/
• (US) IPA^(key): /b??spo?k/
• Hyphenation: be?spoke
• Rhymes: -??k

Adjective

bespoke (not comparable)

1. Individually or custom made.
   • 1983, Kurt Andersen, “Her Majesty in Mellowland,” Time, 7 March, 1983,^[1]

     Marc Valeric, a Beverly Hills milliner, sold 125 bespoke hats in two weeks to women desperate to dress properly for royal receptions.

   • 2004, Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty, Bloomsbury, 2005, Chapter 10,

     People gathered round, since it was something of an event, their MP, in his bespoke pinstripe and red tie, clutching an old Wellington boot and about to hurl it through the air.

   • 2016, "The Tube: Going Underground", Season 1, Episode 6

     There are 436 escalators in the London Underground, and every one is totally bespoke.

   • 2017 "Elements Part 2: Bespoken For", Adventure Time

     You need to get a nice bespoked suit. "Bespoke" means i's custom-made to fit your specific dimensions and emphasize what's flattering about your shape.

2. Relating to someone who makes custom-made products, especially clothing items.

   a bespoke tailor

Usage notes

Primarily used for tailoring, now also used more generally, as an alternative term for custom-made, notably for software, as in a “bespoke solution”.

Synonyms

• See also: Thesaurus:custom-made
• custom
• custom made
• purpose-built
• tailored

Translations

Verb

bespoke

1. simple past tense of bespeak
2. (archaic) past participle of bespeak

References

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