bi-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bi"

English

Alternative forms

• bin- (before some vowel-initial roots)

Etymology

PIE word
*dwóh₁

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

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

• di-
• duo-

Derived terms

English terms prefixed with bi-

• bi
• biannual
• biautomaton
• biceps
• bichrome
• bicolor
• bicolour
• biconvex
• bicornuate
• bicycle
• bicyclic
• bicylindrical
• bidentate
• bidirectional
• biennial
• bifacial
• bifocals
• bigender
• bijugate
• bilabial
• bilabiate
• bilanguage
• bilateral
• bilinear
• bilingual
• billion
• bilobate
• bilogarithmic
• bilogarithmical
• bimanual
• bimester
• bimetal
• bimonthly
• binary
• binomial
• biped
• biplane
• bipod
• bipolar
• birefringent
• bireme
• birotate
• biscuit
• bisect
• bisection
• bisector
• biserrate
• bisexual
• bisexuality
• bitartrate
• bivalve
• biweekly

 

Translations

two-

• Bengali: দুই (bn) (dui)
• Catalan: bi- (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 雙／双 (zh) (shuāng)

• Czech: bi-
• Dutch: bi- (nl), twee-, dubbel-
• French: bi- (fr)
• Galician: bi- (gl)
• Georgian: ბი- (bi-), ორ- (or-)
• German: bi- (de), zwei- (de)
• Ido: bi-
• Indonesian: dwi-, bi-
• Irish: dé-
• Italian: bi- (it)
• Japanese: 双 (ja) (そう, sō)
• Malay: dwi- (ms), bi- (ms)
• Manx: daa-
• Polish: bi- (pl), dwu- (pl)
• Portuguese: bi- (pt)
• Punjabi: ਦੁ- (du-)
• Russian: двух- (dvux-), дву- (dvu-), би- (ru) (bi-)
• Spanish: bi- (es), bis-, biz-
• Swedish: bi- (sv)

Anagrams

• IB, ib.

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

• “bi-” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “bi-”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2023
• “bi-” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin bis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bɪ ]

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

Related terms

Related terms

• binárka
• binární
• kombajn
• kombajnér
• kombajnista
• kombi
• kombík
• kombinace
• kombinačky
• kombinát
• kombinatorika
• kombinatorický
• kombiné
• kombinéza
• kombinovat
• masokombinát
• překombinovat
• rekombinace

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)

   Synonyms: see kaksois-

Derived terms

Category Finnish terms prefixed with bi- not found

French

Etymology

From Latin bis (“twice”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/

• Audio

  (file)

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

Derived terms

French terms prefixed with bi-

Galician

Etymology

From Latin bis.

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

Synonyms

• bi-
• duo-

Derived terms

Galician terms prefixed with bi-

Further reading

• “bi-” in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega, Royal Galician Academy.

German

Etymology

From Latin bis (“twice”).

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (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

• “bi-” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Language Development and Fostering Agency — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.

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

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “bit-”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

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-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..

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /bi/, [bɪ]
• (Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /bi/, [biː]

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)

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

• be-, by-
• b- (in certain words)

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

• “bi-, pref.(2).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
• “bi-, pref.(3).”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

Prefix

bi-

1. Alternative form of by-

Navajo

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).

Related terms

• b-
• bá
• baa
• be-
• bí
• bí-
• bibaʼ
• biiʼ
• bííʼ
• biyiʼ
• bíʼáłtsé
• daabí
• tʼáá bí

 

See also

Navajo possessive pronouns

			singular	dual	plural
1st person			shi-	nihi-	danihi-
2nd person			ni-	nihi-	danihi-
3rd person			bi-
4th person (3o)			yi-
4th person (3a)			ha-, hw-
Indefinite person (3i)			a-

• á-
• ał-
• ahił-

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

• “bi-” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Prefix

bi-

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

See also

Norwegian Nynorsk terms prefixed with bi-

References

• “bi-” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Ojibwe

Preverb

bi-

1. this way, here, hither (toward the speaker)

   Bi-anokiin.

   Come and work.

Related terms

• biid-

See also

• ani-
• omaa

References

• The Ojibwe People's Dictionary https://ojibwe.lib.umn.edu/main-entry/bi-pv-dir

Old English

Alternative forms

• biġ-, be-

Etymology

From bī (“by, near, around”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiː/

Prefix

bī-

1. near, around (compare Latin para-)

   ‎bi- + ‎nama → ‎bīnama (“pronoun”)

   ‎bi- + ‎word → ‎bīword (“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

• Middle English: by-, bi-
  • English: by-, be-
  • Scots: by-, be-

Old Saxon

Etymology 1

An unstressed form of bī, 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- + ‎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

Old Saxon terms prefixed with bi-

Descendants

• be-

Etymology 2

From bī (“by, near, around”).

Prefix

bī-

1. prefix meaning near, around (compare Latin para-), occurring primarily in nouns

   ‎bi- + ‎word → ‎bīword (“proverb, byword”)

Derived terms

Old English terms prefixed with bi-

• bīgengio (“inhabitant”)

Polish

Etymology

From Latin bis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -i
• Syllabification: bi

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-, two

   ‎bi- + ‎-gamia → ‎bigamia

   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

• bis-, biz-

Etymology

From Latin bis (“twice”).

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

   Synonyms: di-, duo-

Derived terms

Spanish terms prefixed with bi-

• bicicleta
• bicorne
• bilingüe
• bimensual
• bisemenal

 

Further reading

• “bi-”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

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-