Does beware exist as anything other than an imperative?

[conuly]

I bewore the dog? I waswore the dog? I wasware the dog? I bewared the dog?

Comments

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

was wary of?

[scarletdemon.livejournal.com]

That sounds good.

[conuly]

I considered that. But then there's a question. Why don't we say "Be wary of"? Not only is it one word instead of two, but we take away the preposition. Why?

[ser-kai.livejournal.com]

I think its a contraction from when old english was used.
It has that-- flavour(synaesthesia makes dialects & things have different flavours for me & I don't know what someone else might call it)
.
Perhaps it was "be 'ware of", originally.

I have, indeed, seen 'be wary of' but I think it was a scots/irish dialect thing.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's a good possibility. That it comes from "be aware of" not "be wary of" - definitely possible.

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

i guess that makes sense, but then, why is beware always used as a warning, ya know? Like, one would say, "be aware of the time" and not beware of the time, whereas one would say "Be wary of the dog" as "Beware of the dog."

I have known my dear connie way to damned long. *pout*

[eofs.livejournal.com]

We don't? "She is wary of the hamster" "I would be wary if I had enough sense to realise what danger I'm in" "I'm wary of foods containing aspertame" "I was wary of slippers after my encounter with the slipper-monster"

Oh! I just realised what you meant. Why do we say "beware" not "be wary of" - perhaps because beware is more concise and as it's not just an imperative, but a warning, short is good.

[ahsirakh.livejournal.com]

Why don't we say "Be wary of"?

Even though we should, you mean?

Because you don't beware the dog, you beware of the dog. "Beware" thus acts as a contraction for "be wary" or "be aware".