From Middle High German bequæme, bekōme (“suitable”), from Old High German biquāmi, derived from biqueman (whence German bekommen). The word seems originally to have been more common in Central and Low German; therefore possibly reinforced by cognate Middle Low German bequēme. The consonantism -qu-, which generally remained more stable in the north than it did in Upper German, may also point to that. Further cognate with Dutch bekwaam, English queem, queme, Swedish bekväm.