Where does “by” come from?
by (Scots) comes 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, from Proto-Indo-European h₂ent- — on, onto.
by (Scots): by; than; by, nearby
Definitions
- by; than; by, nearby
Ancestry of “by”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | by | be |
| 2 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |