Thanks Anu. Until you prompted me to look it up, I'd always thought the English version of the word - 'behove' (rhyming with 'grove' and 'stove')- was 'correct' and the American version - 'behoove' - was a corruption. It turns out that 'behoove' is the historical form and 'behove' is a version derived from reading the word in books and mispronouncing it.
Incidentally, can anyone think of another transitive verb that is only ever used with the subject 'it'?

Welcome Peter. Stick around, you'll get an informed answer.

I would bet that 'behoove' is probably of Norse origin. The Swedish word for 'need' is 'behova' (with an umlaut over the 'o'), while there doesn't seem to be anything similar in German.

Welcome to you too eht!

Hi, but there ís in Dutch. The Dutch word for behoove is 'behoeven' but I think it's hard to tell whether it came to us from the North or from across the Channel.
German bedürfen? True, this word seems way off.

Though I admit the chances are more for Old Norse, eht. In the 9th century Dorestad, an important trading centre in the midst of our country at the time was often raided by the Vikings. Some words must have stuck.
While the English never set foot on our shores save to help end the second WW. With them trade wars took place at see.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorestad

(link shrinker seems to have changed; does not work for me)

OED dates its first citation for behoove in English at 890. This is, I think, a little early for it to be from Old Norse. Maybe gooofy or Nuncle Z could correct or confirm this.