Middle English Dictionary Entry
bi- pref.(2)
Entry Info
| Forms | bi- pref.(2) Also be-. |
| Etymology | OE be-, bi- (corresp. to Goth. bi-), akin to bī adv. & prep. ME coins many words on the inherited models. The formations illustrated in 2 and 3 are almost exclusively ME. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
Unstressed pref.
1a.
Forming trans. verbs from intransitives, often with specialized (factitive, completive, figurative) meaning (s): (a) Inherited from OE, as bidelven, biflouen, bilaughen, bimēnen, bireusen, bishīnen, bisitten, bispēken, bispēten, biswīken, bithinken; (b) formed in ME, as beberken, biblẹ̄den, bidōten, bidroppen, bigāpen, bigilten, bigrēden, bigrucchen, bijāpen, bireuen, bislabberen, bitravaillen, biwailen.
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1b.
Forming trans. verbs from simple transitives, usually with intensive, completive, or figurative meaning (s): (a) Inherited from OE, as biburien, bicherren, befīlen, bifọ̄n, bigirden, bigrīpen, bihīden, bihōlden, bihōten, biknouen, binimen, biquēthen, bisẹ̄chen, bisetten, bitēchen, biwīnden; (b) formed in ME, as bibedden, bicacchen, bicallen, bicasten, bichaunten (cp. enchaunten), bidọ̄n, bifīnden, bigīlen, bihāven, bikennen, birēden, birēven, bisēǧen, bisoilen, bistouen, bitāken, bitōknen, bitraien, biwinnen, biwreien.
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1c.
In a number of intransitive or reflexive verbs, mostly inherited from OE, as bicǒmen, bifallen, biginnen, bigōn, bihọ̄ven, bilimpen, bilīven, bilongen, bistēlen, bistiren, bitīden, biwenden.
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2a.
Forming trans. verbs from nouns:(a) Inherited from OE: bihev(e)den; (b) formed in ME, as bideuen, biflaumen, bihirnen, bihōren, bilimien, bimǒuen, bishreuen, bismōken, bispō̆ten, bitrappen, bitreuthen, biwicchen, biwīlen.
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2b.
?Forming trans. verbs from adjs.: bifǒulen, binīcen.
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3.
In ppls. formed on simple verbs, nouns, or adjs., as bidaffed, bidēled, bedust, bigrouen, bihāted, bilǒved, bimāsed (cp. amāsed), binighted, bireined, bispūsed, bistad, biþrungen.
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4.
In action nouns and agent nouns going with, or formed on, verbs: (a) Inherited from OE, as bebod, bihēst(e, bihọ̄ve; (b) formed in ME, as bigīler, biginninge, bihōldere, bihofþe, bilēve, biquē̆ste, bisẹ̄cher, bisọ̄kne, biyēte.
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5.
In adjs.: (a) bihẹ̄ve [OE], bisibbe [cp. OE gesib(b]; (b) formed on verbs in ME, as bicǒmelī(ch, bigīlāble, bihọ̄veful, bilẹ̄vāble.
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