What does betaking mean?
Betaking is the present participle of the verb 'betake', a formal English word meaning to go to a place or to turn to a pursuit. It is nearly always used reflexively — as in 'she was betaking herself to her chambers' — which gives it a distinctly literary, old-fashioned character reminiscent of Victorian novels and earlier prose. The verb carries a connotation of deliberate, sometimes habitual movement toward a destination considered appropriate or restful, such as home, bed, or the countryside. In modern usage it survives chiefly in elevated or playfully antiquated registers; most contemporary speakers would simply say 'going' or 'heading'. Its irregular forms — 'betake', 'betook', and 'betaken' — share their structure with other old strong verbs like 'take', 'took', and 'taken'. Though rare today, betaking remains useful to writers seeking an air of formality, irony, or historical texture.
verb (present participle and gerund of 'betake')The act of going to a place, especially one regarded as suitable or desirable; the present participle of the formal verb 'betake', meaning to resort or turn to something.
- To go to a place, especially habitually or by deliberate choice (with reflexive pronoun: betake oneself)
- To turn to or apply oneself to an activity, occupation, or resource
"With the summer term ended, the students were betaking themselves to the coast."
"At dusk, the villagers could be seen betaking themselves homeward along the lane."
"Finding city life unendurable, he took to betaking himself to his study whenever guests arrived."
Before people simply 'went' somewhere, they would 'betake' themselves there — a verb so formal that its past tense, 'betook', sounds like it wandered out of a medieval romance.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of betaking
Betake derives from Middle English 'bitaken', formed from the prefix 'be-' combined with 'take', a verb borrowed from Old Norse 'taka'. The construction follows the pattern of other 'be-' prefixed verbs that convey motion or application toward something, much like 'bequeath' or 'bestow'. It has been in use since the Middle English period, and its strong-verb conjugation (betake–betook–betaken) mirrors that of its root verb 'take'. It is thus related etymologically to ordinary words built on the same Norse root, including 'overtake', 'partake', and 'mistake'.
Related word forms
How betaking is actually used
Highly literary and archaic in flavour; used almost exclusively with a reflexive pronoun ('betake oneself') and typically found in formal, humorous, or period writing rather than everyday speech.
Easily confused with betaking
'Becoming' means growing or coming to be, while 'betaking' means deliberately going or resorting to a place or course of action.