Belie and Betray

Belie and Betray Belie and Betray Belie and Betray By Maeve Maddox A reader asks for a discussion of these two words: I get confused when using belie and betray. Sometimes they seem to mean the same thing. Would you please explain when each word should be used, and why. The OED cites two verbs spelled belie that were in use as early as 1000 CE. One belie meant, â€Å"to lie around or encompass.† It was used literally to describe a spatial connection. For example, an army â€Å"belied by the enemy† was surrounded by the enemy. This belie was also a slang word for â€Å"have sex with.† The other belie is the one still used in modern English. Its original meaning was â€Å"to deceive by lying.† Shakespeare plays on the different meanings of the words lie and belie in the scene in which Iago employs innuendo to stoke the Moor’s fears about Michael Cassio: OTHELLO: What hath he said? IAGO: Why, that he did- I know not what he did. OTHELLO: What? what? IAGO: Lie- OTHELLO: With her? IAGO: With her, on her, what you will. OTHELLO: Lie with her? lie on her? We say â€Å"lie on her† when they belie her! Lie with her- that’s fulsome.  - Othello, IV, 1. The belie associated with falsehood expanded to have the following meanings: 1. to tell lies about; especially to calumniate by false statements. 2. to give a false representation or account of, to misrepresent; to present in a false character. 3. to treat a thing as false by speaking or acting at variance with it. 4. to show to be false, prove false or mistaken; to falsify. Belie is often seen in headlines. Here are several examples from the Web: Companies’ Pro-Equality Rhetoric Belied by Their Campaign Donations Image of a Wealthy Gore Is Belied by a Net Worth in Senates Minor League Outsider claims belie political insider past Sometimes belie is used to mean cover up or conceal: Their campaign promises belie a more sinister agenda. Pickfords small stature and cinema sweetness belied a shrewd businesswoman, forming her own production company. Beware of euphemisms that  belie  Ã¢â‚¬Å"hellish†Ã‚  behavior.    A common use of belie is, â€Å"to misrepresent† or â€Å"to reveal as a lie†: Laboratory Tests Belie Promises Of Some GMO-Free Food Labels CO2 emissions belie climate  promises Shattered streets of Homs belie Assads promises of peace Sometimes belie is synonymous with â€Å"call into question†: Marias strength and  intelligence belie  our image of a â€Å"genteel southern lady   Strike, protests  belie  Haitian  governments  free education claims.   Marilyn Monroe and Joanna Lumley belie the dumb blonde image. Monroe was reputed to have an IQ of 170 and Lumley is a member of the Royal Geographical Society. The verb betray also has multiple meanings: to lead into error or sin A Don Juan is a villain who betrays virgins and abandons them. to deliver into the hands of an enemy When he had obtained the confidence of the citizens, he betrayed the town to Darius. to prove faithless or treacherous to a friend How should we react when we find out that a friend  betrayed  us?   to prove faithless to ones country Aaron Burr is often alluded to as the stereotypical traitor: a man who betrayed his country. to reveal A red brick chimney rising up the north side  betrayed the existence of  the small fireplace in the living room. The intended meaning of betray is usually obvious from the context. Because the meaning of belie is not always clear, writers may choose from the following alternatives: contradict be at odds with call into question show to be false disprove debunk discredit negate Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Grammar Test 1What is Dative Case?Plurals of Proper Names