Befall Definition
bĭ-fôl
befallen, befalling, befalls, befell
verb
befallen, befalling, befalls, befell
To come to pass; happen.
What is the worst that may befall?
American Heritage
To come to pass; happen; occur.
Webster's New World
To happen to.
What befell them?
Webster's New World
Used with the impersonal subject it and a following clause to indicate the occurrence of a usually unexpected or chance event.
American Heritage
To be fitting; pertain.
Webster's New World
Origin of Befall
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From Middle English befallen, from Old English befeallan (“to fall, deprive of, bereave of, fall to, be assigned to, befall”), equivalent to be- + fall. Cognate with Dutch bevallen (“to please”), German befallen (“to befall, attack, overcome”), Swedish befalla (“to command, prescribe, direct”).
From Wiktionary
Middle English bifallen from Old English befeallan to fall
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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