Where does “-by” come from?
-by (English) comes from Old Norse býr, from Proto-Germanic būwiz — dwelling.
-by (English): habitation
Ancestry of “-by”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Norse | býr | Alternative form of bǿr; farm; town; place ,... |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | būwiz | dwelling |