bi-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bi"

English

Alternative forms

  • bin- (before some vowel-initial roots)

Etymology

PIE word
*dwóh₁

From Latin bis (twice) or Latin bīnus (double), from duis (twice), from duo (two), from proposed Proto-Indo-European *duwo or *dwóh₁ (two).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /baɪ-/, (rare) /bɪ-/

Prefix

Latin number prefix
Previous: uni-
Next: tri-

bi-

  1. two, paired, both
    Synonyms: di-, duo-
  2. (chemistry, proscribed) half
  3. (before a vowel) bio-

Usage notes

In an old, common method used to indicate the presence of an acidic hydrogen, sodium hydrogen sulfate is called "sodium bisulfate" and sodium hydrogen carbonate is called "sodium bicarbonate". This method is not recommended by IUPAC and does not denote a “doubling up” of a specific group, which is reserved for the Greek prefix di-, as in carbon dioxide (CO2).

The prefix bi in the older system comes from the observation that there is two times as much carbonate (CO3) in sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) and other bicarbonates as in sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) and other carbonates.

As a prefix for periods, bi- is ambiguously used to mean either “once every two periods” or “twice every period”; this is particularly acute for biweekly, bimonthly, and biannual. To avoid ambiguity, semi- or twice can be used to unambiguously mean “every half period” (thus twice every period) or “twice every period”, but there is no general way to refer unambiguously to “once every two periods”. In some cases a separate word is unambiguous, as in fortnightly (every two weeks), or biennial (every two years), but there is no word that unambiguously refers to “every two months”. Due to the ambiguity, some prefer to use explicit phrases, like “every two months” or “twice a month”.

Synonyms

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with bi-

Translations

Anagrams


Azerbaijani

Etymology

From Persian بی (bi).

Pronunciation

IPA(key): [bi]

Prefix

bi-

  1. (rarely productive) -less, un-, in-.
    Synonym: -siz

Derived terms

Azerbaijani terms prefixed with bi-

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin bis.

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms

Catalan terms prefixed with bi-

Further reading


Czech

Etymology

Latin bis

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈbɪ]

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-

Further reading

  • bi- in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého, 1960–1971, 1989

Danish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈb̥i]

Etymology 1

From German bei- (by-).

Prefix

bi-

  1. by-, side-
    Synonym: side-

Etymology 2

From Latin bis (twice).

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-
    Synonyms: di-, tve-, dobbelt-

See also

Danish terms prefixed with bi-

Finnish

Etymology

Internationalism (see English bi-), ultimately from Latin bis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbi-/, [ˈbi-]

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi- (double, twin)
    Synonym: see kaksois-

Derived terms

Category Finnish terms prefixed with bi- not found

French

Etymology

From Latin bis (twice).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bi/
  • (file)

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms

French terms prefixed with bi-

Galician

Etymology

From Latin bis.

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-

Synonyms

Derived terms

Galician terms prefixed with bi-

Further reading


German

Etymology

From Latin bis (twice).

Pronunciation

  • (file)

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms

German terms prefixed with bi-

Gothic

Romanization

bi-

  1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌹-

Ido

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms

Ido terms prefixed with bi-

Indonesian

Etymology

From Dutch bi-, from Latin bi-.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [bi]
  • Hyphenation: bi

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-: two, pair, both.

Derived terms

Category Indonesian terms prefixed with bi- not found

Further reading


Irish

Prefix

bi-

  1. Alternative form of bith-, used before a slender T.

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
bi- bhi- mbi-
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading


Italian

Etymology

From Latin bis (twice).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bi/
  • Hyphenation: bi-

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-
  2. di-

Derived terms

Italian terms prefixed with bi-

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (two-; twice-), a form of *dwóh₁ (two) used as the earlier element of a compound; the origin in PIE of the *i here is uncertain.[1] Synchronically, the form can be interpreted as a clipping of the adverb bis (twice), which developed from earlier duis via the same sound change of initial /dw/ to /b/.

Pronunciation

Prefix

bi-

  1. having two parts
  2. occurring twice

Derived terms

Latin terms prefixed with bi-

References

  • bi-”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • bi-” on page 231/3 of the Oxford Latin Dictionary (1st ed., 1968–82)
  1. De Vaan, Michiel (2008), “bi-”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 71

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English be-, from Proto-West Germanic *bi-, from Proto-Germanic *bi-, from *bi-; compare by-.

The pronunciation /bi-/ (instead of expected /bə-/) is probably due to the influence of the preposition by.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bi-/

Prefix

bi-

  1. A prefix forming transitive verbs from any content word, often denoting completion or thoroughness.
  2. A prefix forming prepositions, often denoting adjacency, position, or relation.
Derived terms
Middle English terms prefixed with bi-
Descendants
  • English: be-
  • Scots: be-
References

Prefix

bi-

  1. Alternative form of by-

Prefix

bi-

  1. his, her, its, their

Usage notes

This prefix often corresponds to an English possessive ’s appended to the preceding word. For example, Diné bizaad means literally “the People their-language”, equivalent to “the People’s language” (i.e., Navajo language).

See also


Northern Kurdish

Prefix

bi-

  1. forms the affirmative subjunctive mood of verbs.

Norwegian Bokmål

Prefix

bi-

  1. by-, by, side
  2. bi-

See also

Norwegian Bokmål terms prefixed with bi-

References


Norwegian Nynorsk

Prefix

bi-

  1. by-, by, side
  2. bi-

See also

Norwegian Nynorsk terms prefixed with bi-

References


Ojibwe

Preverb

bi-

  1. this way, here, hither (toward the speaker)
    Bi-anokiin.
    Come and work.

See also

References


Old English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From (by, near, around).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbiː/

Prefix

bī-

  1. near, around (compare Latin para-)
    bi- + namabīnama (pronoun)
    bi- + wordbīword (proverb, byword)

Usage notes

  • Occurred primarily in nouns.

Derived terms

Old English terms prefixed with bi-
  • bīgenga (inhabitant; observer; benefactor)
  • bīleofa (support, sustenance, nourishment, capital)
  • bīswæc (treachery)

Descendants


Old Saxon

Etymology 1

An unstressed form of , from Proto-West Germanic *bī-.

Prefix

bi-

  1. A productive prefix usually used to form verbs and adjectives, especially verbs with the sense “around, throughout” or makes transitive verbs from intransitive verbs, adjectives and nouns.
    bi- + brekanbibrekan (to break)
    bi- + brengianbibrengian (to accomplish)
    bi- + dēlianbidēlian (to deprive)
    bi- + delvanbidelvan (to bury)
    bi- + dempianbidempian (to suffocate)
    bi- + dernianbidernian (to conceal, to hide)
    bi- + dōdianbidōdian (to kill)
    bi- + drioganbidriogan (to deceive)
    bi- + drōragonbidrōragon (to bleed to death)
    bi- + dumbilianbidumbilian (to make a fool)
    bi- + *dwellianbidwellian (to hinder)
    bi- + fāhanbifāhan (to embrace, seize)
    bi- + fallanbifallan (to befall)
    bi- + felhanbifelhan (to recommend, give over, confide)
    bi- + fellianbifellian (to throw down)
    bi- + findanbifindan (to notice, find out)
    bi- + ganganbigān, bigangan (to celebrate)
    bi- + gehanbigehan (to dare, confess)
Derived terms
Old Saxon terms prefixed with bi-
Descendants

Etymology 2

From (by, near, around).

Prefix

bī-

  1. prefix meaning near, around (compare Latin para-), occurring primarily in nouns
    bi- + wordbīword (proverb, byword)
Derived terms
Old English terms prefixed with bi-
  • bīgengio (inhabitant)

Polish

Etymology

From Latin bis.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bi/
  • (file)
  • Rhymes: -i
  • Syllabification: bi

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-, two
    bi- + -gamiabigamia
    Synonyms: dwu-, di-, dy-

Derived terms

Polish terms prefixed with bi-

Further reading

  • bi- in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • bi- in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin bis.

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi- (two-)

Derived terms

Portuguese terms prefixed with bi-

Spanish

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin bis (twice).

Prefix

bi-

  1. bi-
    Synonyms: di-, duo-

Derived terms

Spanish terms prefixed with bi-

Further reading


Swedish

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bi/, [ˈb̥i]

Prefix

bi-

  1. by-, next to, near, by the side, aside; same as English by- and German bei-; see also the rare preposition bi
  2. bi-, two, dual; from Latin bis (twice)

Derived terms

Swedish terms prefixed with bi-
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.