if need be

Etymology
is a noun, a subjunctive. Perhaps an alteration of phrases like  , literally “if need be.” That phrase would have been completely unidiomatic, equivalent to “if a need exists ” or “if there is a need.” This is because (1) Old English had no indefinite article, (2) the word for "to be" was also the default word for "to exist" and translates the modern phrase "there is," and (3) the subjunctive mood was much more common and often translates the Modern English indicative.

Adverb

 * 1)  If necessary; if there is a need.

Translations

 * Czech: v případě potřeby
 * Danish: om nødvendigt
 * Dutch:, indien noodzakelijk,
 * Estonian: kui vaja
 * Finnish: jos on tarve, jos on pakko
 * French:, , , en cas de besoin, s'il faut
 * German: wenn es sein muss, wenn nötig,, falls nötig
 * Hungarian: ha szükséges
 * Italian: se ci fosse bisogno
 * Old English: ġif þearf biþ
 * Polish: w razie potrzeby, w razie konieczności, jeżeli to konieczne,, jeśli trzeba
 * Portuguese: caso (seja) necessário, se (for) necessário
 * Russian: е́сли пона́добится, в слу́чае необходи́мости
 * Spanish: si es menester
 * Swedish: om så krävs, om så behövs, om så erfordras, vid behov
 * Turkish: gerektiğinde