Where does “bit by bit” come from?
bit by bit (English) comes from English by, from Middle English by, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂énts — on, onto.
bit by bit (English): A small amount at a time
Definitions
- A small amount at a time
Ancestry of “bit by bit”, step by step
bit by bit traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English by
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | by | Near or next to; From one side of something to... |
| 2 | Middle English | by | be |
| 3 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via English bit
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bit | A piece of metal placed in a horse's mouth and... |
| 2 | Middle English | bitte | A flexible container for water or wine; a waterskin or wineskin |
| 3 | Old English | byt | bottle, flagon |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | *buttjā | — |
| 5 | Latin | buttia | cask, barrel |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βούττιον | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | -ῐον | diminutive suffix; "suffix forming... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -yós | Creates adjectives from noun or verb stems |