bestilling

Bestilling is a rare English formation built on the archaic verb "bestill," itself a combination of the prefix "be-" and the adjective "still." In the sense it carries in English, it denotes the act of making something still or calm — a quieting or soothing. The word has never been common in standard usage and does not appear with any frequency in contemporary writing, so readers encountering it are far more likely to be looking at the unrelated Scandinavian noun "bestilling" (Norwegian and Danish for an order or booking) than at a genuine English lexical item. Because of this scarcity and cross-linguistic confusion, caution is warranted: anyone using "bestilling" in English should be aware that it will strike most readers as unfamiliar, and that its meaning must be inferred from context or from the underlying verb "bestill," which survives chiefly in poetry and older literature.

Definition pending review.

Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.

Etymology of bestilling

English "bestilling" derives from the verb "bestill," formed within English from the prefix "be-" attached to "still," following a productive Old English and Middle English pattern of be- formations indicating the imparting of a quality. The related Scandinavian word "bestilling" (Norwegian/Danish, "ordering" or "booking") shares the surface form but is etymologically distinct, deriving from "bestille," a borrowing related to Dutch "bestellen" and ultimately to the same Germanic root behind English "stell"-words such as "stall." The two words are false friends rather than cognates in their modern meanings.

How bestilling is actually used

This word is extremely rare in modern English and should not be confused with the Scandinavian noun "bestilling" (Norwegian/Danish), which means "order" or "booking" and has no place in English vocabulary.

Easily confused with bestilling

Rhymes with bestilling