bei German · revision 34783

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=765, Old High German glosses|origins=gem-pro *bi}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /baɪ̯/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bei'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|gmh|bī]], [[inh|goh|bī]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*bī]], [[inh|gem-pro|*bi]].^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Wiktionary)^(EWA|2, 1) The same word is [[got|𐌱𐌹|tr=bi|t=around, about]], [[ang|bī]], [[ofs|bī]] and [[osx|bī]], and it survives as [[nl|bij]] and [[en|by]].^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Pfeifer 1993) As an unstressed verbal prefix it became [[m|got|𐌱𐌹-|tr=bi-]], [[m|ang|be-]] and Old High German [[m|goh|bi-]], the source of [[be-]].^(Kluge 2011|104)^(EWA|2, 1) The Germanic word was lengthened under stress in West Germanic.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(DWB2|4, 709)

+

+ The meaning is “near” in West Germanic but “around” in Gothic.^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Pfeifer 1993) The Gothic sense allows a connection with [[ine-pro|*ambʰi|t=on both sides, around]], the source of [[grc|ἀμφί|tr=amphí]], [[la|amb-]] and the related [[um]], if the first syllable was lost in Germanic, as in [[beide]].^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) Kluge does not rule out that the sense “near” comes from another formation, perhaps Indo-European [[m|ine-pro|*api]].^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Wahrig Herkunftswörterbuch) The revised Grimm also considers the zero grade of [[ine-pro|*epi|t=near, on]], as in [[grc|ἐπί|tr=epí]] and [[m|la|ob]], probably merged with a similar [[ine-pro|*obʰi]].^(DWB2|4, 709) Wiktionary calls the origin disputed.^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old High German ''bī'' is recorded from the 8th century, first in glosses of about 765.^(Kluge 2011|104)^(Köbler AHD) It was an adverb, “near”, and a preposition with a wide range of senses: “near, beside, along, at, in” of place, “around, within, during” of time, “because of, for the sake of” and “in relation to, compared with”.^(EWA|2, 1) Old Saxon ''bi'' is frequent in the ''Heliand''.^(ReA)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ According to Paul the word was at first only an adverb and took over the functions of the preposition partly already in Old High German.^(Paul 2002) As an adverb it has survived since Old High German almost only in compounds such as [[dabei]], [[herbei]], [[nebenbei]] and [[beisammen]] and in separable verbs such as [[beilegen]];^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Duden 7 2020) northern colloquial speech still separates ''da'' and ''bei'' (''da hat er bei gelacht'' “he laughed at that”).^(Pfeifer 1993)

+

+ As a preposition it first marked nearness in space, then the circumstances of an event, often with a sense of time, condition, cause or concession (''bei Glatteis'' “when there is black ice”, ''bei aller Verehrung'' “with all respect”).^(Duden 7 2020)^(Pfeifer 1993) In oaths such as ''bei Gott!'' the deity was originally called on as a witness thought to be present.^(Duden 7 2020)^(Duden GWDS 1999) In Swiss German the word even forms a comparative ''beier'' “nearer” and a superlative ''der beiste'' “the nearest”.^(DWB|1, 1357)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * c. 765 – Old High German ''bī'' appears in glosses.^(Köbler AHD)

+ * 1060–1065 – Middle High German ''bī'' is used in Williram's commentary on the Song of Songs.^(Köbler MHD)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # Near, by; marking [[m|en|proximity]]: ''die Schlacht bei Leipzig'' “the battle of Leipzig”, ''Bernau bei Berlin'' “Bernau near Berlin”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Among: ''er war auch bei den Demonstranten'' “he was among the demonstrators too”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # By; marking direct contact: ''das Kind bei der Hand nehmen'' “to take the child by the hand”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # At (someone's home): ''er wohnt bei seinen Eltern'' “he lives with his parents”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # For, at, in; of a firm or institution: ''bei einer Firma arbeiten'' “to work for a firm”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # At, during; of an event or activity: ''bei einer Hochzeit sein'' “to be at a wedding”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # In the event of, with; of a condition or accompanying circumstance: ''Wasser kocht bei 100 Grad'' “water boils at 100 degrees”.^(Pfeifer 1993)^(Wiktionary)

+ # About, at; of an approximate or reached value: ''der Umsatz liegt bei 90 Millionen'' “turnover is about 90 million”.^(Duden GWDS 1999)

+ # By; in [[m|en|oaths]]: ''bei Gott!'' “by God!”^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Duden 7 2020)

+ # ''(regional, nonstandard)'' To, with the accusative: ''komm mal bei mich!'' “come over to me!”^(Duden GWDS 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[beim]]

+ * [[dabei]]

+ * [[herbei]]

+ * [[nebenbei]]

+ * [[vorbei]]

+ * [[beisammen]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[um]]

+ * [[be-]]

+ * [[beide]]

+ * [[Beichte]]

+ * [[Biwak]]

+ * [[en|by]]

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}