Middle English Dictionary Entry

bī prep.
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Entry Info

Forms bī prep. Also by, be, (in contraction bani (= bi ani).
Etymology

Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)

1a.
Of location, position, or direction: (a) near, close to, next to, at; alongside, along; ~ anker, at anchor; ~ honde, at hand; ~ ech side, on all sides; ~ the weie, along the way; (b) in names; (c) within (an area); ~ water and ~ lond, on land and sea, everywhere; ~ the strete, in the street, in public; ~ the wind, in the open; (d) ~ north, in, to, or from the north; est ~ south, ~ south the est, southeast; etc.; (e) (seize sb.) at or by (the hand, head, etc.); (hang sb.) by (the neck, feet, etc.); (cut sb.) in (the shoulder); (f) ~ the rote, by the root, completely; ~ the ground, from the ground up, completely.
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1b.
In (the writings of an author), in (an author).
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1c.
Of movement or direction: (a) to, close to, up to (sth., sb.); comen ~, to come upon, overtake (sb.); gon ~, to go past (sb.); ~ the bone, to the bone; (b) across, over (land, the sea); through (the air, the desert, a city, etc.); along (the shore, the way); ~ ech side, in every direction; (c) through (a gate, the nose, etc.); throughout (the body).
Show 46 Quotations
2.
Of association between persons: (a) in (someone's) company or presence, with (sb.); ~ sighte of, in the presence of (witnesses); ~ theim, along with them; (join) with (sb.); (b) between or among (persons); ~ theim, in a group by themselves; (c) lien ~, to lie with (sb.), have sexual intercourse; sinnen ~, sin with (a woman); (d) (have a child) by or of (one's spouse, etc.); (e) stonden ~, to stand near or by (sb.), stay with; assist, defend.
Show 37 Quotations
3.
Of the goal or object of an action: (a) don (feren) ~, do (sth.) to (sb.), treat; don wel ~, treat (sb.) well; feren ~, deal with (sb.); (b) fallen, faren, feren ~, to happen to (sb.); go with; (c) comen ~, to come by (sth.), get at, obtain; ben ~, to be in possession of, possess, have; (d) counten, leten, setten ~, set (a certain value) on (sth.), regard (as valuable, worthless, etc.); (e) faren, wenden ~, go on (an errand, etc.).
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4.
Of time: (a) at (a certain time), on (a certain day), in (the morning, etc.); bi this dai, today; ~ alle yeres, every year; ~ times, bi whiles, from time to time, at times; (b) during (a period); ~ that dai, ~ tho dawes, at that time, in those days; ~ dai(es and night(es, day and night, all the time; ~ mi lif, during my lifetime; ~ process of time, in the course of time; ~ lif, throughout (one's) life; (c) for the duration of, for (a certain time); (d) by or within (a certain time), no later than; ~ a litel stounde, time, while, in a short time, shortly, soon; ~ the laste, in the end, at last; ~ line, ?at once; ?in order, in succession; (e) ~ that (this), at or by that (this) time; bi thanne, then, by then.
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5.
Of attending circumstances: by (daylight), in (the dark).
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6.
Of an agent or intermediary: (a) by or through; ~ the hondes of, at the hands of (an official), by; (b) ~ him-self, etc., by his own power, on his own initiative.
Show 29 Quotations
7.
Of agency, mediation, means, motivation:
7a.
By means of, through the agency of; with (one's hands, etc.); through or by (effort, work, one's faculties, etc.); with or through (help, Providence, Grace, etc.); by (decree, incantation, instigation, etc.); through (sin, remorse, lust, etc.); etc.
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7b.
Of means of subsistance: liven ~ (sth.), live on (food, charity), live by (bread alone, one's labor, etc.).
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7c.
Of means of travel or transportation: by (boat), on (foot).
Show 6 Quotations
7d.
Of learning, knowing, teaching, showing, etc.: (a) through, by, from (sth. observed or experienced); (b) by means of (observation, examination, reasoning, judgment, a science, etc.).
Show 34 Quotations
7e.
Of communication: (a) by (word of mouth); in (writing), by (letter); by (prophesy); (b) (pronounced) with (a certain sound); (spelt) with (a certain letter).
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7f.
(a) ~ this menes, by these means; ~ no mene(s, by no means, in no way; ~ ani mene, by any means; (b) ~ force (skille, vertu), by virtue or authority (of).
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7g.
~ name, by name; callen, nemnen ~, call (sb.) by name; called (cleped, hoten, nemned) ~, to have a (certain) name, be called; connen, knouen ~, know (sth.) by name, be able to name or designate.
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8a.
Of manner and accord: (a) In (a certain manner); ~ bote, to advantage; ~ charite; ~ consequence, as a consequence; ~ derne, stealthily, craftily; ~ herte (rote), by heart; ~ leiser, leisurely; ~ lesinge, by deceit, deceitfully; ~ lengthe, at length; lengthwise; ~ note, of a requiem mass: sung; ~ on, in agreement, one and the same; ~ on assent, by agreement, unanimously; ~ reverence, in reverence; ~ reue (ordre), one after another, in a row; ~ seur, for sure, certainly; ~ craft (sleight), craftily, cunningly; ~ taille, on credit; stonden ~, to consist of (sth.); word ~ word, verbatim, in detail; (b) ~ him-self (him on), etc., by himself, alone; unaccompanied, solitarily; separately, privately; independently, spontaneously, unaided.
Show 69 Quotations
8b.
Of manner and accord:(a) In accordance with, according to; ~ conscience, conscientiously; ~ certain ende, according to a definite plan or purpose; ~ opinioun, in (one's) opinion; ~ red, in accordance with (someone's) advice; ~ tale, as calculated or estimated; ~ might (pouere), in accordance with (one's) ability, with all (one's) might; ~ wille, of (one's own) will, voluntarily, willfully; ~ wone, according to custom, usually; ~ (sb.), in obedience to (sb.); etc.; (b) ~ e (laue), according to custom or law, lawfully; ~ right, in justice, rightfully; ~ fore-ward, by agreement; ~ enheritaunce (heritage), by (right of) inheritance; ~ descent (line), by (right of) succession; ~ the gospel, according to Scripture; etc.; (c) ~ resoun (right, skil), with reason, for good reason, justifiably, properly; (d) ~ leve, with (one's) permission; ~ godes leve, God willing; ~ assent (consent, wille), with (one's) consent or approval; (e) ~ aventure (cas, chaunce, fortune, hap), by chance or accident; also, perhaps; ~ dom (lot), by lot; ~ necessite (nede), of necessity, inevitably; ~ destine (fortune), by fate; ~ kinde, by nature, naturally.
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8c.
Of manner and accord: (a) ~ that manere, wei, in that way or manner; ~ ani wei, in any way; ~ no manere, wei, in no way, not in any way; ~ alle maneres, weies, in every way or respect; (b) ~ wei of, by way of (charity, kindness, severity, thefts, etc.); for the sake of (confession, trade, etc.); ~ kinde, according to nature; ~ resoun, in arguing; etc.
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9a.
Of reference: (a) with reference or respect to, as regards, concerning; ~likenesse (semblaunt, sight), in appearance; as ~ his faculte, as to his possessions; ~ min chilindre, by my sundial, according to my sundial; ~ medicine, as a medicine; ben war ~, to beware of (sb.); rekenen ~, to reckon with reference to (sb.); taken ensaumple ~, to learn from or follow (someone's) example; etc.; (b) seien (thinken, witen) ~, to say, think, know (sth.) about (sb., sth.); (c) menen (understonden) ~, to give an interpretation with regard to or of (sth.), mean by; (d) leten (setten) ~, to regard (sb., sth.) as (important, worthless, etc.); (e) sweren ~ God (heven, the rode, etc.), to swear by God, Heaven, the Cross, etc.; (f) in oaths, affirmations, and expletives: ~ Crist (God, Gog), ~ (seinte) Marie, ~ (min, thin) feith (lei, treuthe), ~ min lif, etc.; (g) ~ min lif, at the risk of my life; ~ his lif (limes), on pain of forfeiting his life (limbs).
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9b.
(a) In comparison with, in proportion to; (b) knouen ~, to distinguish (one thing) from (another).
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10a.
Of number: (a) ~ ten, in groups of ten each; 'two and two, in pairs; ~ on and (~) on, one by one, one after another; ~ thousend, by the thousand; etc.; (b) ~ somme (tale), by count, in number, all told, in all; (c) ~ the laste, to the last man, everyone; (d) ~ thre times, thrice; (e) divide, multiply) ~ (a number); (f) (divide a space) ~ two, in two parts; etc.
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10b.
Of amount or degree: (a) by (a certain amount); ~ hundfold, a hundredfold; ~ plotmele, piecemeal; ~ hep, in one heap or lot; ~ muche(l, by much; ~ litel and litel, little by little, gradually; ~ fer, by far; ~ than ilke iwighte, of the same weight; (b) ~ might, with all (one's) might, to the utmost.
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10c.
Of extent: by or to (a certain distance in space or time).
Show 9 Quotations
10d.
Of units of measure: according to or by (a certain standard unit), of; ~ weght, by weight; by (the pound, etc.); ~ markes itold, counted by, or amounting to 'marks'.
Show 6 Quotations
10e.
Of units of time: (a) ~ the weke, by the week, weekly; ~ (the) yer, each year, annually; ~ ech month, once a month, each month; (b) ~ the dai (weke, yer), for one day, etc., for the duration of a year, etc.; ~ seven daies, in periods of seven days.
Show 16 Quotations
11.
Miscellaneous phrases: (a) dai ~ dai, day after day, on and on, continually; yer ~ yer, every year; hous ~ hous, from house to house; pase ~ pase, step by step; polle ~ polle, one after another; word ~ word, word for word, verbatim, every word; (b) ~ name, by the name of; (c) biginnen bi, to begin with (a certain letter).
Show 21 Quotations

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • c1450(1438) GLeg.AllSaints (GiL155) (Eg 876) 799/27 : The fundement of that temple was caste bi a spere [F fut gette par lespere; L sphericum iacitur], so that bi that fourme the perdurabilite of goddes was shewed.
    • Note: New sense.
    Note: Editor: "The sense here required for 'bi' is 'in the form of'."

Supplemental Materials (draft)

  • a1500(1439) Lydg.Sts.AA (Lnsd 699)110 : Cesar Iulyus Was passid out of Rome..Ouer thalpies, in knyhthood ful famous, Bassent of Fortune, notable & glorious; This marcial man, Armyd in plate & maile, Had ouerriden the boundis of Itaile.
    • Note: New form: Contraction: bassent (= bi assent).
    Note: Quot. belongs to sense 8b.(d): ~ assent
  • ?a1425(?a1350) Castleford Chron.(Göt Hist 740)20488 : He seged þam so alle about; Bi fefeten daies [L per .xv. dies] might nan cum out.
    • Note: Needed for date in sense 10e.(b).
    Note: New phrase: ~ fiftene daies, for fifteen days.
  • a1500 Add.37075 Accedence (Add 37075)46/61 : 'In', 'wt', 'throw', 'for', or 'froo', 'þan', and 'by', aftyr a comparatyff degree, be the signes of the ablatyff case.
    • Note: New sense.
    Note: Gloss: Gram. The preposition 'bi'.
  • a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)4/16 : Gyf þu bearn habbe, lær heo þa cræftes, þæt heo mugen beo þan libben.
    • Note: New form: Also..(early error) beo. (This error is probably by attraction to 'heo' since OE has be.--per REL)
    Note: Quot. belongs to sense 7b.
  • a1150(OE) Vsp.D.Hom.(Vsp D.14)92/20 : Þæt gewrit, þe þu þe bæde awriten beo Godes bebodan mid feawe wordan, ne mæig befon þa deopnysse þæs rihte geleafan.
    • Note: Needed for date in sense 8b.(a).
    Note: New form: Also..(early error) beo. (This error is probably by attraction to 'heo' since OE has be.--per REL)
  • a1500 Amis (Hrl 2386)207 : Þan þe reche duk of þat lond..By [Auch: douhti kniȝt at crie..brouȝt hem boþe to schond Wiþ gile & trecherie].
    Note: Needed for date in sense 6.(a).
Note: The list of variant spellings in the extant form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED.--notesfor this quot. per MLL

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