Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “byplay” come from?

byplay (English) comes from English by-, from Middle English bi-, from Old English bī-, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi — on, onto.

byplay (English): Any action, carried out onstage during a...

Definitions

  1. Any action, carried out onstage during a...

Ancestry of “byplay”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishby-town or city; nearness or roundaboutness;...
2Middle Englishbi-—
3Old Englishbī-by, near, around; by-
4Old Englishbīlullaby!; near, by; by, near, around
5Proto-West Germanicbīby, at; near, around
6Proto-Germanicbiby, at; near, around
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂m̥bʰiaround, on either side of, about; in exchange...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂n̥tbʰi—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂éntsforehead; front
10Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂ent-face; forehead; front
11Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂en-on, onto
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- →