by

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Pronunciations

by (BYE) listen

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Definitions

  • prep. At [a location], at the house of, with, among, according to the opinion of, at [an event, time of year] (in addition to Standard English near).

Example Sentences

  • “I’ve been waiting by [at] the bus station 45 minutes already”

  • “Things they’ve seen by their parents.”

  • “Who’s Reb Yehuda holding by?”

  • “I pasken [rule halachically] by him.”

  • "We're eating by Feldman this Shabbos."

  • “I just saw her by the rehearsal.”

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Languages of Origin

  • Yiddish
  • English

Etymology

  • Yiddish preposition בײַ bay/ba 'at, near, with'

      • Who Uses This

      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Younger: Jews in their 30s or younger

      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).

      Alternative Spellings

      bay, bei

Notes

  • Very common among Orthodox Jews, including ba'alei teshuva. Research shows that younger Orthodox Jews are more likely to use this than older Orthodox Jews.

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