By-

Alternative forms

• bye-

From Middle English by ("town"), of origin, from Old Norse bȳr ("dwelling, town"), from Proto-Germanic *būwiz ("dwelling"), from Proto-Indo-European *bhōw- ("to dwell"). Cognate with Danish by ("town"). More at bower.

Full definition of by-

Prefix

1. (usually non-productive) Prefix originally denoting a town or citybylaw, bypass

Partly from a combining form of by ("by, near, around"), and partly continuing Middle English bi-, by-, from Old English bī- ("by, near, around"), from Proto-Germanic *bi ("near"), from Proto-Indo-European *obhi, *ebhi ("by").

Prefix

1. Prefix denoting nearnessbystander
2. Prefix meaning secondary, incidental, or parallel toby-product, byform, by-path