bi-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bi"

English

Etymology

From Latin bis (“twice”) or Latin bīnus (“double”).

Alternative forms

• bin- (before some vowel-initial roots)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baɪ-/, (rare) /bɪ-/

Prefix

Latin number prefix

Previous:	uni-
Next:	tri-

bi-

1. two, paired, both
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.

Synonyms

• di-
• duo-

Derived terms

► English words prefixed with bi-

Terms derived from bi-

• bi
• biannual
• biautomaton
• biceps
• bichrome
• bicolor
• biconvex
• bicornuate
• bicycle
• bicyclic
• bicylindrical
• bidentate
• bidirectional

• biennial
• bifacial
• bifocals
• 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-

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 雙 (zh), 双 (zh) (shuāng)

• Dutch: bi- (nl), twee-, dubbel-
• French: bi- (fr)
• Galician: bi- (gl)
• Georgian: ბი- (bi-), ორ- (or-)
• German: bi- (de), zwei- (de)
• Ido: bi-
• Irish: dé-

• Italian: bi- (it)
• Japanese: 双 (ja) (そう, sō)
• Malay: dwi- (ms), bi-
• Manx: daa-
• 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.

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Azerbaijani

Etymology

From Persian بی‎ (bi).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [bi]

Prefix

bi-

1. (rarely productive) -less, un-, in-.

   Synonyms: -siz

Derived terms

► Azerbaijani words prefixed with bi-

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Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/, [ˈb̥i]

Etymology 1

From German bei- (“by-”).

Prefix

bi-

1. by-, side-

   Synonyms: side-

Etymology 2

From Latin bis (“twice”).

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

   Synonyms: di-, tve-, dobbelt-

See also

► Danish words prefixed with bi-

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French

Etymology

From Latin bis (“twice”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

Derived terms

► French words prefixed with bi-

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Gothic

Romanization

bi-

1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌹-

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Ido

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

Derived terms

► Ido words prefixed with bi-

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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

• "bit-" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.

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Italian

Etymology

From Latin bis (“twice”).

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -i

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-
2. di-

Derived terms

► Italian words prefixed with bi-

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Latin

Etymology

A shortened form of bis (“twice”), which drops its final s when when making compositions.

Pronunciation

• (Classical) IPA^(key): /bi/, [bɪ]

Prefix

bi-

1. having two parts
2. occurring twice

Derived terms

► Latin words 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)

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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

Terms related to bi-

• b-
• bá
• baa
• be-

• bí
• bí-
• bíʼáłtsé

• bibaʼ
• biiʼ
• bííʼ

• biyiʼ
• 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-

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Norwegian Bokmål

Prefix

bi-

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

See also

► Norwegian Bokmål words prefixed with bi-

References

• “bi-” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

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Norwegian Nynorsk

Prefix

bi-

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

See also

► Norwegian Nynorsk words prefixed with bi-

References

• “bi-” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

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Old English

Alternative forms

• biġ-, be-

Etymology

From bī (“by, near, around”).

Prefix

bī-

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

   bi- + ‎nama → ‎bīnama (“pronoun”)

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

Derived terms

► Old English words prefixed with bi-

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

Descendants

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

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Old Saxon

Etymology 1

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

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”)

Descendants

• be-

Derived terms

► Old Saxon words prefixed with bi-

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 words prefixed with bi-

• bīgengio (“inhabitant”)

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Portuguese

Prefix

bi-

1. bi- (two-)

Derived terms

► Portuguese words prefixed with bi-

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Spanish

Alternative forms

• bis-, biz-

Etymology

From Latin bis (“twice”).

Prefix

bi-

1. bi-

Derived terms

► Spanish words prefixed with bi-

Terms derived from bi-

• bicicleta
• bicorne

• bilingüe
• bimensual

• bisemenal

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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 words prefixed with bi-