Where does “bi” come from?
bi (Middle English) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent-, from Proto-Indo-European h₂en- — on, onto.
bi (Middle English): by
Definitions
- by
Ancestry of “bi”, step by step
bi traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English bī
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via Old English bi
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | bi | by, near, around, to, in, at, upon, about, with;... |