bij Dutch · revision 37112

+ {{homograph|1|by, at}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=901–1000, Wachtendonck Psalms|origins=gem-pro *bi}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bɛi̯/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bij'''^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The preposition is [[inh|dum|bi]], [[inh|odt|bī]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*bī]], [[inh|gem-pro|*bi|t=by, at]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(ONW) The same word is [[osx|bī]], [[goh|bī]] (modern [[de|bei]]), [[ofs|bi]] (modern [[fy|by]]), [[ang|bī]] (modern [[en|by]]) and [[got|𐌱𐌹|tr=bi|t=around, about]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) The vowel was originally short, as in Gothic and the unstressed prefix [[be-]], and was lengthened at the end of the stressed word, later becoming the diphthong written ⟨ij⟩.^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|72)^(Vercoullie 1925)

+

+ Outside Germanic it is compared with [[la|ob|t=towards, against]], [[sa|अभि|tr=abhí|t=towards]] and [[cu|объ|tr=obŭ|t=about, around]], from [[ine-pro|*obʰi-|t=towards, at (as an attack)]], although only Germanic points to a form ⟨*bʰi-⟩.^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|72) Another view links it with [[ine-pro|*h₂m̥bʰi-|t=around, on both sides]], the source of [[om]] and [[m|la|amb-]];^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(WNT)^(Van Haeringen 1936) Gothic, which uses the word for [[grc|ἀμφί|tr=amphí|t=around]], supports this, and De Vries thought that both roots may have merged in Germanic.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(WNT)^(Van Haeringen 1936) Wiktionary also mentions a zero grade of [[ine-pro|*h₁épi|t=on, at]], voiced by Verner's law, as in [[m|grc|ἐπί|tr=epí]].^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ In the 10th-century Wachtendonck Psalms Old Dutch ''bi'' means “by, near”, as in ''bi themo dica'' “by the dyke”, and ''be thiu'' means “therefore”.^(EWN)^(ONW) The same text uses it for “according to”, of God repaying each man ''bi uuerkon sinin'' “according to his works”.^(ONW) The Middle Dutch preposition is first recorded in 1201 in the Lower Rhine area, and the adverb in 1240 in Limburg, glossing Latin ''cominus'' “close by”.^(VMNW)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Old Dutch already used ''bī'' of time, of accordance and of cause.^(ONW) Middle Dutch extended it to “over”, as in ''bi seeuwen'' “over the sea” (1285), “by means of”, as in ''bi welker list'' “by which trick” (1340–60), to distance, and to duration, as in ''bi vele daghen'' “for many days” (around 1400).^(EWN) The MNW notes that the original sense “around”, kept by the prefix in verbs such as [[bekransen]] and [[belegeren]], had already been lost by the preposition.^(MNW)

+

+ In the 17th century ''bij'' still meant “along”, as in ''by der straten te wandelen'' “to walk along the streets” (1600), and with points of the compass “in the”, as in ''by Zuyden'' “in the south” (1598), a use now kept only in the unstressed form, as in [[benoorden]].^(WNT) The seaman's ''bij de wind'' “close-hauled” is recorded in 1671.^(WNT) The adverb came to mean “conscious” and “up to date”, and in Belgium “carried along”.^(Van Dale 2014) In Surinamese Dutch, as in Belgium, ''bij'' with ''gaan'' means “to (someone's place)”, a use that is dated in the Netherlands.^(Van Donselaar 1989)

+

+ Danish, Norwegian and Swedish ''bi'' and the verbal prefix ''bi-'' were borrowed from Dutch or Low German, and the word passed into Negerhollands (''bi'', ''bie'') and Skepi Dutch.^(Van der Sijs 2010)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 901–1000 – ''Bi themo dica'' “by the dyke” in the Wachtendonck Psalms.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * 1201 – The Middle Dutch preposition in the Lower Rhine area.^(VMNW)

+ * 1240 – The adverb ''bj'' “close by” in a Limburg glossary.^(VMNW)^(EWN)

+ * 1285 – ''Bi seeuwen'' “over the sea”.^(EWN)

+ * 1340–60 – ''Bi welker list'' “by which trick”.^(EWN)

+ * 1574 – The spelling ''bij'' in Kiliaan.^(EWN)

+ * 1598 – ''By Zuyden'' “in the south”.^(WNT)

+ * 1671 – ''By de windt'' “close-hauled”.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Preposition===

+ # At, with, at the home of: ''Ze logeert bij haar tante.''^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+ # [[m|en|near]], close to, by: ''Het hotel ligt bij de haven.''^(Wiktionary)^(WNT)

+ # At the time of, during: ''bij zonsopgang''.^(ONW)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(Suriname, Belgium)'' To, towards a person: ''Ik ga morgen bij mijn oom.''^(Van Donselaar 1989)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(obsolete)'' By means of, through.^(Wiktionary)^(EWN)

+

+ ===Adverb===

+ # Conscious: ''Na de operatie was ze snel weer bij.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # Up to date, at the point where one should be: ''Ik ben weer bij met de post.''^(Van Dale 2014)^(Wiktionary)

+ # ''(colloquial)'' Well informed, quick-witted.^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # In a pronominal adverb, standing for the preposition with its object: ''Kun je erbij?''^(Van Dale 2014)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # ''(Belgium)'' Carried along, with one: ''Heb je je paspoort bij?''^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # As part of a separable verb, alongside or in addition: [[bijvoegen]], [[bijstaan]].^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bijna]]

+ * [[bijeen]]

+ * [[bijzonder]]

+ * [[bijstaan]]

+ * [[bijwonen]]

+ * [[bijvoegen]]

+ * [[bijzin]]

+ * [[bijrol]]

+ * [[bijsluiter]]

+ * [[dichtbij]]

+

+ {{homograph|2|bee}}

+

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=970, Old Dutch (place name Bingart)|origins=gem-pro *bijǭ}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /bɛi̯/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bij''' ''f'' (plural bijen, diminutive bijtje n)^(Wiktionary)

+ Southern Dutch ''bie'', plural ''bieën''.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ The insect is [[inh|dum|bie]], [[inh|odt|*bīa]], [[inh|gmw-pro|*bijā]], [[inh|gem-pro|*bijǭ|alt=*bi(j)ō-|t=bee]].^(EWN)^(Wiktionary)^(WikiWoordenboek) The same word is [[osx|bī-]] (in [[m|osx|bībrōd|t=honeycomb]]), [[goh|bīa]] (modern dialectal [[m|de|Beie]]), [[ang|bēo]] (modern [[en|bee]]) and [[non|bý]] (modern [[sv|bi]]), and with an extension in ⟨-n-⟩ [[m|osx|bina]], [[m|goh|bini]] and modern [[de|Biene]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ Outside Germanic there are forms with other suffixes: with ⟨-t-⟩ [[lt|bìtė]] and [[cy|bydaf|t=beehive]], with ⟨-k-⟩ [[cu|бьчела|tr=bĭčela]] (modern [[ru|пчела|tr=pčela]]), and with a different vowel [[sga|bech]].^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971) A root [[ine-pro|*bʰey-|t=bee]] has been assumed, but the EWN calls it doubtful: given where the word is found and its meaning, a substrate word adapted differently in each language is likely, as De Vries also thought.^(EWN)^(De Vries 1971)^(Wiktionary)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|72) Franck and Van Wijk linked it with the root of [[beven]], and Grimm with that of [[bouwen]], but De Vries and Van Haeringen found these links speculative.^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)^(De Vries 1971)^(Van Haeringen 1936)

+

+ Middle Dutch ⟨ie⟩ does not normally become ⟨ij⟩: it fell together with /iː/, and was diphthongised with it, only in a few words where it stood at the end.^(EWN)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ Old Dutch has the word only in the place name ''Bingart'', now Bingerden in Gelderland, recorded in 970.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001) Middle Dutch ''bie'' “honeybee” is first recorded around 1240 in the Limburg glossary known as Bernardus.^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|72)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Middle Dutch ''niet twee bien'' “not two bees” meant “nothing at all”, as in a line of 1340 saying that Samson's strength did not help him a whit.^(MNW) The bee stood for useful industry, and busy people were called bees from 1586 on.^(WNT) The form ''bie'' lived on in the south and in Cats, and the diminutive ''bietje'' was used by many northern poets.^(WNT)

+

+ In southern dialects the word can also mean a swarm of bees, and at Balinge in Drenthe it means a hive with its bees, while the insect itself is ''iem''; see [[imker]].^(WNT)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912) Van Dale has the phrase ''een bezige bij'' for a busy, active person.^(Van Dale 2014)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 970 – Old Dutch place name ''Bingart''.^(EWN)^(Van der Sijs 2001)

+ * c. 1240 – Middle Dutch ''bie'' in Bernardus.^(EWN)^(De Vries & De Tollenaere 2004|72)

+ * 1301 – ''Nutte ende vromelijc alse die bie'' “useful and profitable as the bee”.^(MNW)

+ * 1340 – ''Niet twee bien'' “not a whit”.^(MNW)

+ * 1574 – The spelling ''bij'' in Kiliaan.^(EWN)

+ * 1586 – Busy people called bees.^(WNT)

+ * 1608 – A herb recommended against the stings of bees and wasps.^(WNT)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Noun===

+ # A [[m|en|bee]], any insect of the family Apidae, which lives on [[nectar]] and [[pollen]].^(Van Dale 2014)^(WNT)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # The honeybee, ''Apis mellifera'': ''De bijen zwermen uit de korf.''^(EWN)^(WNT)^(WikiWoordenboek)

+ # ''(figurative)'' A busy, industrious person.^(WNT)^(Van Dale 2014)

+ # ''(dialectal)'' A swarm of bees, a hive with bees.^(WNT)^(Franck & Van Wijk 1912)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bijenkorf]]

+ * [[bijenteelt]]

+ * [[bijenwas]]

+ * [[bijenzwerm]]

+ * [[bijenkoningin]]

+ * [[bijker]]

+ * [[honingbij]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[be-]]

+ * [[om]]

+ * [[imker]]

+ * [[en|by]]

+ * [[de|bei]]

+ * [[en|bee]]

+ * [[de|Biene]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ De Vreese condemned the Southern Dutch use of ''bij'' in phrases like ''leraar bij een athenaeum'', where Dutch idiom wants ''aan'', as an imitation of French ''près''.^(De Vreese 1899) Jewish Dutch used ''bij'' in many expressions taken from Yiddish, such as the wish to unmarried wedding guests ''haast bij u!''.^(Van de Kamp 2006)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}