Dictionaries of the Scots Language
Dictionars o the Scots Leid

Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1934 (SND Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

BEHOVE, BEHOOVE, Behuv, Beheeve, v. To be incumbent on a person to do something. In Mod.Eng. gen. used impersonally since c.1500 but in Sc. the personal use is the more common. This is esp. noticed as a Scotticism by Beattie (1787), Sinclair (1792), Mitchell (1799) and Mackie (1881). [bɪ′hu:v gen.Sc. but bɪ′ho:v a literary pronunciation encouraged by the spelling; bɪ′hø:v, bɪ′hʌv m.Sc.; bɪ′hi:v ne.Sc.]Sc. 1729 Papers by Father Innes in Spalding Club Misc. (1842) II. 355:
Your Majesty will easily perceive . . . that I behooved to give the air of a bare historical fact, and treat as it were by the by, joined in with a great variety of other critical discussions.Sc. 1816 Scott Antiquary xli.:
There was a young gentleman on the box, and he behuved to drive; and Tam Sang, that suld hae had mair sense, he behuved to let him.Abd. 1768 A. Ross Helenore 19:
On ilka hand, the hills were stay an' steep, An' shou'd she tak them, she behov'd to creep.Abd.(D) 1871 W. Alexander Johnny Gibb xlv.:
Sir Seemon beheev't to be haud'n on the ill gate . . . b' them that ackit the pairt o' mere seecophants till 'im.Fif. 1894 J. W. M'Laren Tibbie and Tam, To A' Concerned:
It behooves me to admit that ae nicht . . . it was suggested . . . that I micht wi' propriety collect his family documents.