by-

Alternative forms edit

• bye-

Etymology 1 edit

From Middle English by (“town”), of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse býr (“dwelling, town”), from Proto-Germanic *būwiz (“dwelling”). Cognate with Danish by (“town”). More at bower.

Prefix edit

by-

1. (now mostly non-productive) Town or city.

   bylaw

Etymology 2 edit

Partly from a combining form of by (“by, near, around”), and partly continuing Middle English bi-, by-, from Old English bī- (“by, near, around”), from Proto-Germanic *bi- (“by-”). Cognate with Dutch bij-, German bei-.

Prefix edit

by-

1. Nearness or roundaboutness.

   bystander, bypass

2. Secondary, incidental, or parallel to.

   by-product, byform, by-path

Derived terms edit

Translations edit

Anagrams edit

• YB, Yb, yb

Etymology 1 edit

Inherited from Old English bī-, from bī (Middle English by); compare bi-.

Alternative forms edit

• bi-

Pronunciation edit

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiː-/

Prefix edit

by-

1. A prefix forming nouns, often denoting adjacency, position, or relation.; near, around

Derived terms edit

Descendants edit

• English: by-, be-
• Scots: by-, be-

References edit

• “bi-, pref.(1).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2 edit

Prefix edit

by-

1. Alternative form of bi-