English Edit

Alternative forms Edit

  • bin- (before some vowel-initial roots)

Etymology Edit

PIE word
*dwóh₁

Borrowed from Latin bi-, from Proto-Italic *dwi-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwi-. Doublet of twi-

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /baɪ-/, (rare) /bɪ-/

Prefix Edit

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 Edit

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 Edit

Derived terms Edit

Translations Edit

Anagrams Edit

Azerbaijani Edit

Etymology Edit

From Persian بی(bi).

Pronunciation Edit

IPA(key): [bi]

Prefix Edit

bi-

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

Derived terms Edit

Catalan Edit

Etymology Edit

From Latin bis.

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

Czech Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Latin bis.

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-

Related terms Edit

Further reading Edit

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

Danish Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

From German bei- (by-).

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. by-, side-
    Synonym: side-

Etymology 2 Edit

From Latin bis (twice).

Prefix Edit

bi-

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

See also Edit

Finnish Edit

Etymology Edit

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

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

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

Derived terms Edit

Category Finnish terms prefixed with bi- not found

French Edit

Etymology Edit

From Latin bis (twice).

Pronunciation Edit

  • IPA(key): /bi/
  • (file)

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms Edit

Galician Edit

Etymology Edit

From Latin bis.

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-

Synonyms Edit

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

German Edit

Etymology Edit

From Latin bis (twice).

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms Edit

Gothic Edit

Romanization Edit

bi-

  1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌹-

Ido Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived terms Edit

Indonesian Edit

Etymology Edit

From Dutch bi-, from Latin bi-.

Pronunciation Edit

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

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-: two, pair, both.

Derived terms Edit

Category Indonesian terms prefixed with bi- not found

Further reading Edit

Irish Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

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

Mutation Edit

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 Edit

Italian Edit

Etymology Edit

From Latin bis (twice).

Pronunciation Edit

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

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-
  2. di-

Derived terms Edit

Latin Edit

Etymology Edit

From Proto-Italic *dwi-, from Proto-Indo-European *dwi- (two-; twice-), prefix form corresponding to the numeral *dwóh₁ (two); the origin in PIE of the *i here is uncertain.[1].

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. having two parts
  2. occurring twice

Derived terms Edit

References Edit

  • 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 Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

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 Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

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 Edit
Descendants Edit
  • English: be-
  • Scots: be-
References Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. Alternative form of by-

Navajo Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. his, her, its, their

Usage notes Edit

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).

Related terms Edit

See also Edit

Northern Kurdish Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. forms the affirmative subjunctive mood of verbs.

Norwegian Bokmål Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

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

See also Edit

References Edit

Norwegian Nynorsk Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

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

See also Edit

References Edit

Ojibwe Edit

Preverb Edit

bi-

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

Related terms Edit

See also Edit

References Edit

Old English Edit

Alternative forms Edit

Etymology Edit

From (by, near, around).

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

bī-

  1. near, around (compare Latin para-)
    bi- + ‎nama → ‎bīnama (pronoun)
    bi- + ‎word → ‎bīword (proverb, byword)

Usage notes Edit

  • Occurred primarily in nouns.

Derived terms Edit

  • bīgenga (inhabitant; observer; benefactor)
  • bīleofa (support, sustenance, nourishment, capital)
  • bīswæc (treachery)

Descendants Edit

Old Saxon Edit

Etymology 1 Edit

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

Prefix Edit

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- + ‎brekan → ‎bibrekan (to break)
    bi- + ‎brengian → ‎bibrengian (to accomplish)
    bi- + ‎dēlian → ‎bidēlian (to deprive)
    bi- + ‎delvan → ‎bidelvan (to bury)
    bi- + ‎dempian → ‎bidempian (to suffocate)
    bi- + ‎dernian → ‎bidernian (to conceal, to hide)
    bi- + ‎dōdian → ‎bidōdian (to kill)
    bi- + ‎driogan → ‎bidriogan (to deceive)
    bi- + ‎drōragon → ‎bidrōragon (to bleed to death)
    bi- + ‎dumbilian → ‎bidumbilian (to make a fool)
    bi- + ‎*dwellian → ‎bidwellian (to hinder)
    bi- + ‎fāhan → ‎bifāhan (to embrace, seize)
    bi- + ‎fallan → ‎bifallan (to befall)
    bi- + ‎felhan → ‎bifelhan (to recommend, give over, confide)
    bi- + ‎fellian → ‎bifellian (to throw down)
    bi- + ‎findan → ‎bifindan (to notice, find out)
    bi- + ‎gangan → ‎bigān, bigangan (to celebrate)
    bi- + ‎gehan → ‎bigehan (to dare, confess)
Derived terms Edit
Descendants Edit

Etymology 2 Edit

From (by, near, around).

Prefix Edit

bī-

  1. prefix meaning near, around (compare Latin para-), occurring primarily in nouns
    bi- + ‎word → ‎bīword (proverb, byword)
Derived terms Edit

Polish Edit

Etymology Edit

From Latin bis.

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-, two
    Synonyms: dwu-, di-, dy-
    bi- + ‎-gamia → ‎bigamia

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

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

Portuguese Edit

Etymology Edit

Borrowed from Latin bis.

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi- (two-)

Derived terms Edit

Spanish Edit

Alternative forms Edit

Etymology Edit

From Latin bis (twice).

Prefix Edit

bi-

  1. bi-
    Synonyms: di-, duo-

Derived terms Edit

Further reading Edit

Swedish Edit

Pronunciation Edit

Prefix Edit

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 Edit