Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Old Frisian (rare) ibēr (also as gebār ), Old Saxon gibāri (Middle Low German gebēre ), Old Dutch gebāre (Middle Dutch ghebāre , gebāre , gebēre , ghebeer , etc., Dutch gebaar ), late Old High German gibārī , gibāra (Middle High German gebære , gebāre ), all in the sense ‘behaviour, demeanour’ < the Germanic base of y- prefix + an ablaut variant (lengthened grade) of the Germanic base of bear v.¹; compare also the Germanic parallels cited at bere n.² With sense 2 compare Middle Dutch ghebeer in the sense ‘cries, clamour, commotion’ (compare Dutch misbaar in this sense, with different prefix (compare mis- prefix¹)). Compare bere n.² and also i-bere v.²In sense 2 showing a semantic specialization from the more general sense ‘behaviour, conduct’ through ‘noisy or clamorous behaviour or conduct’ to ‘noise, clamour’. Despite the fact that in Old English and early Middle English clear examples are attested with reference to loud sounds drawing the attention of hearers, such as cries of distress or the cries of animals, it has sometimes been argued that much of the early evidence at sense 2 should be taken as showing the sense ‘conduct’ (i.e. sense 1), with the connotation of noise to be understood as contextual. However, compare bere n.² (for which the corresponding sense is unambiguously attested; compare sense 2 at that entry), as well as the parallel sense development in Middle Dutch.

Etymology: Cognate with Old Saxon giberan to give birth (Middle Low German gebēren to carry, to bring, to give birth), Old High German giberan to bring, to give birth (Middle High German gebern , German gebären ), Gothic gabairan to compare < the Germanic base of y- prefix + the Germanic base of bear v.¹ Compare also Scandinavian forms listed at bear v.¹, which partly reflect originally prefixed formations (with regular loss of the prefix in early Scandinavian).In Old English a strong verb of Class IV. It is considerably less frequent than the corresponding unprefixed verb; compare discussion at bear v.¹

Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Old Saxon gibārian (Middle Low German gebēren ), Old High German gibāren (Middle High German gebæren )̣, and (with different stem class) Old Saxon gibārion (Middle Low German gebāren ), Old High German gibārōn (Middle High German gebāren , German gebaren ), and probably also Middle Dutch ghebāren , gebāren , gebēren (Dutch gebaren ), all in sense ‘to behave, to conduct oneself’, probably < the Germanic base of i-bere n. Compare i-bere n. and bere v.The Dutch verb probably reflects a merger with the otherwise unattested Dutch reflex of the ultimately related Germanic base of (the strong verb) i-bere v.¹ (with the sense compare bear v.¹ 10, abear v. 3). With sense 2 compare Middle Dutch ghebāren , etc. in sense ‘to raise a clamour’; compare discussion of the corresponding sense at i-bere n. and also at bere v. 1. Attestation in manuscripts of Laȝamon's Brut. In quot. c1275 at sense 2 apparently interpreted as the infinitive of a verb by the scribe (in a construction with wanly adv.), although the exemplar may have had a form of i-bere n. Compare the suggested emendation, which is to some extent supported by the parallel example of quot. c1300 at bere n.² 2, where the earlier variant reading, by the scribe of the Caligula MS, may well be intended to show a verb, even though the later reading in MS Otho clearly shows a noun.