bi

Etymology 1

Clipping of bisexual.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /baɪ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ
• Homophones: bye, buy, by

Adjective

bi (not comparable)

1. (informal) Bisexual.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bisexual

   Coordinate terms: pan, mono

   I'm straight, but my oldest sister is bi.

Translations

Noun

bi (plural bis)

1. (informal) A bisexual person.
   • 1991 October 10, Ken Jones, “Re: Bisexual privilege? (Was Re: Tom Robinson Concert”, in soc.motss, Usenet‎^[1]:

     For some reason, I'm feeling _very_ sensitive to bi-discrimination tonight. I'm really not trying to mock the points being made here, it's just that many of the same arguments can be turned around and used to describe the discrimination that bis face.

   Synonyms: bisexual; see also Thesaurus:bisexual person

See also

• bi-

Etymology 2

Mandarin 璧 (bì)

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) enPR: bē, IPA^(key): /biː/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iː
• Homophones: b, be, Bea, bee

Noun

bi (plural bi)

1. A type of jade disk produced in ancient China.

See also

• Bi (jade) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• IB, ib.

Etymology

A short form of bijë, from archaic bilë ("daughter, girl").

Interjection

bi

1. A friendly exclamation to a person (female).

   Fol bi, Dritë!

   Speak, therefore, Dritë!

2. An exclamation of surprise (to a female person).

   Bi! Po ç'është kjo?

   Girl! What is this?

   Po ç'është kjo, bi?

   What is this, girl?

Related terms

• bre
• brez
• pra

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/

• Audio

  (file)

Numeral

bi

1. two

Declension

Etymology

From English bee.

Noun

bi

1. bee

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bì]

Noun

bì

1. bin for grain storage

References

• 2007. The UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive. Los Angeles, CA: UCLA Department of Linguistics.

Danish Wikipedia has articles on:

bi and Bier

Wikipedia ^daWikipedia ^da

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈb̥iˀ]
• Rhymes: -iː

Etymology 1

From Old Norse bý, from Proto-Germanic *bijō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰī-.

Noun

bi c (singular definite bien, plural indefinite bier)

1. bee

Inflection

See also

• hveps c

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Middle Low German bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, around”). Related to English by and German bei

Adverb

bi

1. by

Usage notes

• Only in certain fixed phrases that are borrowed from German, like stå bi (German beistehen).

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the main entry.

Verb

bi

1. imperative of bie

Etymology

From Proto-Mongolic *bi (“I”), compare Mongolian би (bi).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [pi]

Pronoun

bi (Xiaojing spelling بی‎)

1. I (first-person singular personal pronoun)

Etymology

Clipping of biseksueel.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: bi
• Rhymes: -i

Adjective

bi (invariable, comparative meer bi, superlative meest bi)

1. (colloquial) bisexual

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbi/, [ˈbi]
• IPA^(key): /ˈbiː/, [ˈbiː]
• Rhymes: -i
• Syllabification: bi

Noun

bi

1. (colloquial) bi (bisexual)

Declension

Etymology

From bissexuel, or possibly directly from English bi

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/

Noun

bi m or f (plural bis)

1. bi, bisexual person

Adjective

bi (invariable)

1. bi, bisexual

Further reading

• “bi” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [biː]

• Audio

  (file)

Adjective

bi (not comparable)

1. (informal) bi

Romanization

bi

1. Romanization of 𐌱𐌹

Adjective

bi

1. green

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈbì]

Noun

bi

1. wind

Etymology

From Latin bē (the name of the letter B).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/
• Rhymes: -i
• Hyphenation: bì

Noun

bi f (invariable)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter B.; bee

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) lettera; a, bi, ci, di, e, effe, gi, acca, i, i lunga, cappa, elle, emme, enne, o, pi, cu, erre, esse, ti, u, vu, doppia vu, ics, ipsilon, zeta

Romanization

bi

1. Rōmaji transcription of び
2. Rōmaji transcription of ビ

Etymology

From Sanskrit बीज (bīja), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *bíHȷ́am. Cognate with Konkani बी (bī) and Parachi bīz (“seed-corn”).

Noun

bi

1. a seed
2. semen
3. moth larva

Related terms

• bíyak

Noun

bi

1. water

References

• C. L. Voorhoeve, 1975. Languages of Irian Jaya Checklist, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, p.108
• Bill Palmer, editor, The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area: A Comprehensive Guide, Padua: De Gruyter Mouton, 2018, OCLC 1050042990, page 457

Pronunciation

• Lua error in Module:rhymes at line 59: The language code "ku" in the first parameter is not valid.

Preposition

Lua error in Module:headword/templates at line 52: The language code "ku" in the first parameter is not valid.

1. by
2. with

Etymology

From Old Saxon bī, from Proto-Germanic *bi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biː/

Preposition

bi

1. at, with

   Bi us is dat ümmer Feest.

   With us it's always a party.

2. by

   Wi wahnt in en Huus bi de Meer.

   I live in a house by the lake.

3. around, about (often in combination with üm)

   Dat weer üm bi so'n twintig Johr vör.

   It was about twenty years ago.

Inflection

Adverb

bi

1. alongside, with
2. in order to adjust or improve

Romanization

bi

1. Nonstandard spelling of bī.
2. Nonstandard spelling of bí.
3. Nonstandard spelling of bǐ.
4. Nonstandard spelling of bì.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

Etymology

From Old Dutch bi, from Proto-Germanic *bi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biː/

Preposition

bi

1. by, near, around
2. beside, alongside
3. at, with
4. among
5. during
6. by (the work of)
7. because of

Descendants

• Dutch: bij
• Limburgish: bie

Adverb

bi

1. by, near, around

Descendants

• Dutch: bij
• Limburgish: bie

Further reading

• “bi (I)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek‎^[2], 2000
• “bi (II)”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek‎^[3], 2000
• Verwijs, E.; Verdam, J., “bi”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek‎^[4], The Hague: Martinus Nijhoff, 1885–1929, →ISBN

Etymology

From Old English bi, from Proto-Germanic *bi.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiː/

Preposition

bi

1. by
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41

     And I seide, “Ser, in his tyme maister Ioon Wiclef was holden of ful many men the grettis clerk that thei knewen lyuynge vpon erthe. And therwith he was named, as I gesse worthili, a passing reuli man and an innocent in al his lyuynge. And herfore grete men of kunnynge and other also drowen myche to him, and comownede ofte with him. And thei sauouriden so his loore that thei wroten it bisili and enforsiden hem to rulen hem theraftir… Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende. Also Filip of Repintoun whilis he was a chanoun of Leycetre, Nycol Herforde, dane Geffrey of Pikeringe, monke of Biland and a maistir dyuynyte, and Ioon Purueye, and manye other whiche weren holden rightwise men and prudent, taughten and wroten bisili this forseide lore of Wiclef, and conformeden hem therto. And with alle these men I was ofte homli and I comownede with hem long tyme and fele, and so bifore alle othir men I chees wilfulli to be enformed bi hem and of hem, and speciali of Wiclef himsilf, as of the moost vertuous and goodlich wise man that I herde of owhere either knew. And herfore of Wicleef speciali and of these men I toke the lore whiche I haue taughte and purpose to lyue aftir, if God wole, to my lyues ende.”

Descendants

• English: by

Verb

bi

1. first-person singular preterite indicative of ber: I saw.
   • 2011, Ana Afonso, L Princepico Chapter 1:

     Quando you tenie seis anhos, bi ua beça ua eimaige mi guapa nun lhibro subre la floresta birge que se chamaba "Stórias Bibidas".

     • 1948 translation by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

       Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest.

Noun

bi f

1. (Mooring) bee

Pronoun

bǐ

1. we (first-person plural pronoun)

See also

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bi.

Preposition

bī

1. by, near
2. at, with

Descendants

• Middle Dutch: bi
  • Dutch: bij
  • Limburgish: bie

Further reading

• “bī”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek‎^[5], 2012

Alternative forms

• be

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bi (“near, by, around, about”), q.v.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biː/

Preposition

bī

1. by, near, around, to, in, at, upon, about, with
2. of, from, about, touching, concerning
3. by, for, because of, after, through, according to, in comparison with
4. beside, out of

Descendants

• Middle English: bi
  • English: by, English: bye

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bi, whence also Old English bi.

Preposition

bī

1. by
2. at

Descendants

• Alsatian: bii
• German: bei
• Vilamovian: by
• Yiddish: בײַ‎ (bay)

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bi, whence also Old English bi.

Preposition

bī

1. by, near, to
2. beside

Descendants

• Low German: bi, by

Adjective

bi (plural bi, comparable)

1. bisexual (sexually attracted to persons of either sex)

Synonyms

• bissexual

Noun

bi m, f (plural bis)

1. bisexual (bisexual person)

Synonyms

• bissexual

Preposition

bi

1. by

Etymology

From Old Irish bí (imperative singular of at·tá), from Proto-Celtic *buyeti, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH-

Verb

bi (past bha, future bidh, verbal noun bhith)

1. be, exist

Inflection

Related terms

• beò

Mutation

See also

• is

References

• “bi” in Edward Dwelly, Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic–English Dictionary, 10th edition, Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, 1911, →ISBN.

Verb

bi

1. second-person singular aorist of biti

   On bi tamo jučer. (archaic)

   He was there yesterday.

2. third-person singular aorist of biti

   On bi u školi tad. (archaic)

   She was at school then.

3. (colloquial, conditional) aorist of biti; would

   Ja bi također išao da mogu. ― I would go as well if I could.

   Je li bi htio ići s nama? ― Would you like to go with us?

   Ivana bi htjela ići s nama. ― Ivana would like to go with us.

   Mi/Oni bi voljeli jednog dana posjetiti Japan. ― We/They would like to visit Japan one day.

   Voljeli bi jednog dana posjetiti Japan. ― We/They would like to visit Japan one day.

Usage notes

• In colloquial Serbo-Croatian, bi is commonly used in place of other aorist forms when forming conditional of biti in both singular and plural if the subject is deducible from context (usually from the conjugated form of the verb). That is, bi is a shared shorthand for bih, bismo, biste and biše.

Etymology

From Proto-Tungusic *bi. Cognate with Evenki би (bi), Manchu ᠪᡳ (bi).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bi/

Pronoun

bi

1. I

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-bí, from Proto-Bantu *-bɪ́ɪ̀.

Adjective

-bí

1. bad
2. evil
3. ugly

Inflection

This adjective needs an inflection-table template.

Adjective

Template:es-adj-inv

1. bi (bisexual)

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-bí, from Proto-Bantu *-bɪ́ɪ̀.

Adjective

-bí

1. bad
2. evil
3. ugly

Inflection

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -iː

Etymology 1

From Old Swedish bī, bȳ, from Old Norse bý, from Proto-Germanic *bijō, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰī-.

Noun

bi n

1. bee

Usage notes

• More rare spellings of the definite forms are bit/bits (singular) and bien/biens (plural). However, the spellings in the inflection box are the most common.

Declension

See also

• bålgeting c
• geting c

Etymology 2

Adjective

bi

1. (informal) bisexual

Etymology 3

Adverb

bi (not comparable)

1. (in some fixed expressions) by

Related terms

• stå någon bi

Etymology

From English bee.

Noun

bi

1. bee

Numeral

bi

1. Contraction of bir.

Etymology

Borrowed from French bille.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓi˧˧]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˧˧]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɪj˧˧]

Noun

(classifier cục, hòn, viên) bi

1. a marble (spherical ball)

   bắn bi

   to shoot marbles

2. (billiards, snooker) a ball

   bi cái

   a cue ball

3. (slang) a ball (testicle)

   Á! Dập bi tao rồi!

   Ow! Mah bawlls pahpped!

Derived terms

• bút bi (“ball-point pen”)
• bi cái (“cue ball”)

Conjunction

bi

1. because

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biː/

Noun

bi f (plural biau)

1. The name of the Latin-script letter B.

Mutation

This word cannot be mutated.

See also

• (Latin-script letter names) llythyren; a, bi, ec, èch, di, èdd, e, èf, èff, èg, eng, aetsh, i/i dot, je, ce, el, èll, em, en, o, pi, ffi, ciw, er, rhi, ès, ti, èth, u/u bedol, fi, w, ecs, y, sèd ^{(Category: cy:Latin letter names)}

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-bí, from Proto-Bantu *-bɪ́ɪ̀.

Adjective

-bí

1. bad
2. evil
3. ugly

Inflection

Noun

bi

1. water

References

• Ehret, Christopher, A Historical-Comparative Reconstruction of Nilo-Saharan (SUGIA, Sprache und Geschichte in Afrika: Beihefte; 12)‎^[6], Cologne: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, 2001, →ISBN, ISSN 0720-0986.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Zhuang) IPA^(key): /pi˨˦/
• Tone numbers: bi¹
• Hyphenation: bi

Etymology 1

From Proto-Tai *piːᴬ (“year”). Cognate with Thai ปี (bpii), Northern Thai ᨸᩦ, Lao ປີ (pī), Lü ᦔᦲ (ṗii), Shan ပီ (pǐi), Tai Nüa ᥙᥤ (pi), Ahom 𑜆𑜣 (pii), Bouyei bil.

Classifier

bi (Sawndip forms 𭯌, 𭽨, 𭙂, old orthography bi)

1. year

   Synonym: nienz

2. year old

Derived terms

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Verb

bi (old orthography bi)

1. (intransitive) to swing; to sway; to rock
2. (transitive) to swing; to rock; to wag
3. to swing (on a swing)

Noun

bi

1. thatch

References

• http://www.languageinindia.com/feb2013/zouphonologyfinal.pdf

Etymology

From Proto-Nguni *-bí, from Proto-Bantu *-bɪ́ɪ̀.

Adjective

-bí

1. bad
2. evil
3. ugly

Inflection

Derived terms

• -bana
• isibi
• okubi
• ububi