by: [OE] By comes from a prehistoric Germanic *bi, which appears ultimately to be the same form as the second syllable of Latin ambi- (as in ambidextrous), Greek amphí (as in amphitheatre), and Old English ymbe, all of which meant ‘on both sides, round’. The original meaning of by thus seems to be ‘close to, near’. By is the basis of the prefix be-, as in befall and belong.
by (prep.)
Old English be- (unstressed) or bi (stressed) "near, in, by, during, about," from Proto-Germanic *bi "around, about" (cognates: Old Saxon and Old Frisian bi "by near," Middle Dutch bie, Dutch bij, German bei "by, at, near," Gothic bi "about"), from *umbi (cognate with second element in PIE *ambhi "around;" see ambi-).
Originally an adverbial particle of place, in which sense it is retained in place names (Whitby, Grimsby, etc.). Elliptical use for "secondary course" (opposed to main, as in byway, also compare by-blow "illegitimate child," 1590s) was in Old English. This also is the sense of the second by in the phrase by the by (1610s). By the way literally means "in passing by" (mid-14c.); used figuratively to introduce a tangential observation by 1540s.
Phrase by and by (early 14c.) originally meant "one by one," modern sense is from 1520s. By and large (1660s) originally was nautical, "sailing to the wind and off it," hence "in one direction then another."
雙語例句
1. Doctors are complaining about being barraged by drug-company salesmen.
醫生們抱怨他們疲于應付醫藥公司的銷售人員。
來自柯林斯例句
2. He was hand-picked for this job by the Admiral.
他是由海軍上將精心挑選出來擔任這項工作的。
來自柯林斯例句
3. Barry had his nose put out of joint by Lucy's aloof sophistication.
露西的冷淡與世故使得巴里十分不快。
來自柯林斯例句
4. Nora was deflowered by a man who worked in a soda-water factory.
在汽水廠工作的一個男子奪去了諾拉的童貞。
來自柯林斯例句
5. You can improve your chances of profit by sensible planning.