Adyghe

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [bəː]
  • Audio:(file)

Letter

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бы () (lower case, upper case Бы)

  1. The second of the Adyghe Cyrillic alphabet.

Noun

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бы ()

  1. den
  2. haunt
  3. nest

Declension

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Declension of бы
case singular plural
indefinite
nominative быр (bər) быхэр (bəxɛr)
ergative бым (bəm) быхэмэ (bəxɛmɛ)
instrumental бы(м)кӏэ (bə(m)kʼɛ) быхэ(м)кӏэ (bəxɛ(m)kʼɛ)
invertive быу (bəwu) быхыу (bəxəwu)

Russian

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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Inherited from Old East Slavic бꙑ (by), from Proto-Slavic *by.

Pronunciation

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Particle

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бы (by)

  1. A verbal particle used to render conditional and subjunctive mood
    Я говори́л(а).Ja govoríl(a).I spoke.
    Я бы говори́л(a).Ja by govoríl(a).I would (should) have spoken.; I would speak.; I might speak.
    • c.  1827 - 1828, Alexander Pushkin, chapter 4, in Арап Петра Великого [The Moor of Peter the Great], published 1837:
      — Сказа́л бы слове́чко, да волк недале́чко, — сказа́л, нахму́рясь, Гаври́ла Афана́сьевич.
      — Skazál by slovéčko, da volk nedaléčko, — skazál, naxmúrjasʹ, Gavríla Afanásʹjevič.
      “I’d add a word or two of my own, but even the walls have ears,” said Gavrila Afanasevich, frowning.
    • 1958, “Песня о тревожной молодости [Song of the Restless Youth]”, Lev Oshanin (lyrics), Aleksandra Pakhmutova (music)‎[1]:
      Забо́та у нас проста́я,
      Забо́та на́ша така́я:
      Жила́ бы страна́ родна́я,
      И не́ту други́х забо́т!
      Zabóta u nas prostája,
      Zabóta náša takája:
      Žilá by straná rodnája,
      I nétu drugíx zabót!
      Our concern is simple;
      Our concern is this:
      That our dear country would live,
      And there are no other concerns!

Usage notes

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  • The particle бы is often shortened to б (b).
  • The particle бы may appear in any place within a sentence except the beginning. In colloquial speech it can be heard used multiple times within the same clause, but this usage is considered erroneous.
  • The particle бы is, in some expressions, omitted in colloquial settings. For example:
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Descendants

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  • Kildin Sami: пэ (pe)