EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

  • bin- (before some vowel-initial roots)

EtymologyEdit

PIE word
*dwóh₁

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

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /baɪ-/, (rare) /bɪ-/

PrefixEdit

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 notesEdit

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”.

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

AnagramsEdit

AzerbaijaniEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Persian بی(bi).

PronunciationEdit

IPA(key): [bi]

PrefixEdit

bi-

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

Derived termsEdit

CatalanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin bis.

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

CzechEdit

EtymologyEdit

Latin bis

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-

Related termsEdit

Further readingEdit

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

DanishEdit

PronunciationEdit

Etymology 1Edit

From German bei- (by-).

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. by-, side-
    Synonym: side-

Etymology 2Edit

From Latin bis (twice).

PrefixEdit

bi-

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

See alsoEdit

FinnishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

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

Derived termsEdit

Category Finnish terms prefixed with bi- not found

FrenchEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin bis (twice).

PronunciationEdit

  • IPA(key): /bi/
  • (file)

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived termsEdit

GalicianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin bis.

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-

SynonymsEdit

Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

GermanEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin bis (twice).

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived termsEdit

GothicEdit

RomanizationEdit

bi-

  1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌹-

IdoEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-

Derived termsEdit

IndonesianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Dutch bi-, from Latin bi-.

PronunciationEdit

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

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-: two, pair, both.

Derived termsEdit

Category Indonesian terms prefixed with bi- not found

Further readingEdit

IrishEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

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

MutationEdit

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 readingEdit

ItalianEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin bis (twice).

PronunciationEdit

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

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-
  2. di-

Derived termsEdit

LatinEdit

EtymologyEdit

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].

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. having two parts
  2. occurring twice

Derived termsEdit

ReferencesEdit

  • 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 EnglishEdit

Etymology 1Edit

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 formsEdit

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

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 termsEdit
DescendantsEdit
  • English: be-
  • Scots: be-
ReferencesEdit

Etymology 2Edit

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. Alternative form of by-

NavajoEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. his, her, its, their

Usage notesEdit

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 termsEdit

See alsoEdit

Northern KurdishEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. forms the affirmative subjunctive mood of verbs.

Norwegian BokmålEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

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

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Norwegian NynorskEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

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

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

OjibweEdit

PreverbEdit

bi-

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

Related termsEdit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

Old EnglishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From (by, near, around).

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

bī-

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

Usage notesEdit

  • Occurred primarily in nouns.

Derived termsEdit

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

DescendantsEdit

Old SaxonEdit

Etymology 1Edit

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

PrefixEdit

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 termsEdit
DescendantsEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From (by, near, around).

PrefixEdit

bī-

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

PolishEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin bis.

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

bi-

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

Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

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

PortugueseEdit

EtymologyEdit

Borrowed from Latin bis.

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi- (two-)

Derived termsEdit

SpanishEdit

Alternative formsEdit

EtymologyEdit

From Latin bis (twice).

PrefixEdit

bi-

  1. bi-
    Synonyms: di-, duo-

Derived termsEdit

Further readingEdit

SwedishEdit

PronunciationEdit

PrefixEdit

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 termsEdit