Middle English word bi comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₁epi (On, at, near.), Proto-Indo-European *kei-, Proto-Indo-European *key(w)-, Proto-Indo-European *keyd-, Proto-Indo-European *h₂ént-
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *h₁epi | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | On, at, near. |
| *kei- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *key(w)- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *keyd- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂ént- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂ent- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *h₂n̥t-bʰi | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *haitaną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | (passive) to be called. To address, to call. To name. |
| *h₂m̥bʰi | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | Around, on either side of, about. Facing, against. In exchange for. |
| *haisiz | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Command. |
| bi | Old English (ang) | Beside. By, near, around, to, in, at, about, with. |
| bi | Middle English (enm) | By. |