Knowing the linguistic origin of a word can majorly help you increase your understanding of language and the level of your writing. Root words can tell you a lot about these origins and the history of the words we use today. For example, the widely known root “bi,” meaning “two,” finds application in various words, implying that something is double or twofold. This article will provide everything you need to know about words that stem from this root.
Definition: Bi
The prefix “bi-” stems from the Latin word “bis,” meaning “two” or “twice.” It is typically attached to words indicating double of something or an occurrence that happened twice. This root is mostly used similar to the Greek equivalent “di-,” signifying that something is connected to the number two. It can be found in nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Origin
“Bi-” originates from Latin, where it means “two” or “twice.” It is a widely used prefix that modifies nouns, adjectives, and adverbs, enriching the English language with words that convey duality and twofoldness.
Example
“Bi” as in …:
- Bicycle (noun)
- Bilingual (adjective)
- Biannually (adverb)
Take “binocular” for example, which means seeing with two eyes. Another one would be “biannual,” meaning twice a year, which you should not confuse with “biennial,” meaning every two years. All of these words include the number 2 in their meaning.
Using “bi” in nouns
According to its origin, “bi” is used to show that something is composed of two components, or is doubled, such as in “bicycle,” a vehicle with two wheels. When “bi” is used in nouns, it typically denotes things or concepts relating to the number two. Examples of nouns containing “bi” are listed below.
Bicycle…
… describes a vehicle with two wheels. The engine-driven version would be a motorbike, or just a bike, which also includes the root “bi.”
Examples
- Her bicycle had a flat tire.
- He always rides to university on his bicycle.
Biped…
… describes a living being that walks on only two feet/limbs.
Examples
- Humans walk on two feet, meaning we are bipeds.
- Technically, birds are also bipeds.
Biceps…
… describes a primary muscle with two heads attaching to the bones of the upper arm. This word can be easily composed of “bi,” meaning two, and “ceps,” meaning head.
Examples
- Are you training your biceps with these weights?
- Their biceps looks really good.
Further nouns with “bi”
| Example | Explanation |
| Bilingualism | The ability to speak two languages fluently. |
| Binoculars | A device with two lenses for both eyes to see, also called glasses. |
| Bipartisan | Someone involved in two political parties. |
| Bifurcation | Division of something into two parts. |
| Binomial | A mathematical expression with two unlike terms. |
Using “bi” in adjectives
The same applies also for adjectives: “bi” always relates to the number two, something double or twofold.
Bilingual…
… is someone who speaks two languages fluently.
Examples
- Since he speaks both English and Korean, he is bilingual.
- It would be pretty awesome to be bilingual.
Binary…
… is something described by only two options.
Examples
- A computer uses binary codes consisting of only 1 and 0.
- Binary variables can also be “success” and “failure.”
Bisexual…
… describes a person who is sexually attracted to both men and women.
Examples
- He likes both men and women, so he is bisexual.
- My classmate just told me they are bisexual.
Further adjectives with “bi”
| Example | Explanation |
| Bilateral | Something involving two/both sides of a thing. |
| Bipolar | Something having two poles/extremes. |
| Bipedal | Having two legs or walking on two legs. |
| Biannual | Something happens twice a year. |
| Biennial | Something happening every two years. |
Using “bi” in adverbs
Original adverbs with “bi” are rare. Adverbs are only formed from adjectives, which then include the prefix, especially time-related words. However, even then, it would be more common to use the adjective instead.
Biannually…
… means that something occurs twice a year.
Examples
- We biannually go to the beach.
- We only see our grandma biannually.
Bimonthly…
… describes something happening twice a month or every two months.
Examples
- I only go grocery shopping bimonthly.
- Usually, she bimonthly finishes a book.
Bipartitely…
… describes that something is divided into two parts.
Examples
- She cut the cake bipartitely.
- He bipartitely separated the dough, to dye it in different colors.
Further adverbs with “bi”
| Example | Explanation |
| Bilingually | Someone speaking two languages fluently. |
| Bienially | Something occurring every two years. |
FAQs
The prefix “bi” originates from the Latin word “bis,” meaning “two.”
Yes, “bi” is a prefix, added to the beginning of words to signify a duality or something related to the number two.
Five well-known examples of words using “bi” are:
- Bicycle
- Bilingual
- Biannual
- Binary
- Bisexual
The root “bi” is derived from Latin. However, the Greek equivalent is “di.”
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