The English derivational prefix be- is a hold over from Old English. For the majority of native speakers the prefix be- is no longer productive; a possible exception to this is presented by the word besmitten, which numerous speakers seem to have recreated http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bes2.htm. Meanings and uses of be- include: thoroughly, excessively, or more generally, used as an intensifier; on, around, over, or generally indicating contact; finally, it is also used to form transitive verbs from nouns (e.g. befriend, behead, benight), adjectives (e.g. bedim, bewet) or otherwise intransitive verbs (e.g. bewail, beweep).
