2021-05-29
ศัพท์ น่าสับสน ชุด – B – bi-
แนะนำการใช้ ตามที่ส่วนใหญ่ใช้ แต่ละท้องถิ่น
ความหมาย อาจผันแปร ตาม ตำแหน่ง/หน้าที่ ในประโยค
Dictionary.com
ออกเสียง bi- = ‘BAHY’
Dictionary.com
WORDS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH BI-
All words except biennial referring to periods of time
and prefixed by bi- arepotentially ambiguous.
Since bi- can be taken to mean either “twice each” or “every two,”
a word like
biweekly can be understood as “twice each week” or “every two weeks.”
To avoid confusion, it is better to use
the prefix semi- to mean “twice each”
(semiannual; semimonthly; semiweekly)
or the phrase twice a or twice each
(twice a month; twice a week; twice each year),
and for the other sense to use the phrase every two
(every two months; every two weeks; every two years).
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
What do bimonthly and biweekly mean?: Usage Guide
Prefix
Many people are puzzled about bimonthly and biweekly,
which are often ambiguous
because they are formed from two different senses of bi-:
"occurring every two" and "occurring two times."
This ambiguity has been in existence fornearly a century and a half
and cannot be eliminated by the dictionary.
The chief difficulty is that
many users of these words assume
that others know exactly what they mean,
and they do not bother to make their context clear.
So, if you need bimonthly or biweekly,
you should leave some clues in your contextto the sense of bi- you mean.
And if you need the meaning "twice a,"
you can substitute semi- for bi-. Biannual
and biennial are usually differentiated.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language,
bi-
A prefix meaning "two."
It is often used to form adjectives meaning "having two of"
or "having double" something,
such as: in bilateral, having two sides.
usage:
Most words referring to periods of time
and prefixed by bi- are potentially ambiguous.
Since bi- can be taken to mean either “twice each” or “every two,”
a word like biweekly can be understood as
“twice each week” or “every two weeks.”
Confusion is often avoided by using the prefix semi-
meaning “twice each” (semiweekly; semimonthly; semiannual)
or by using the appropriate phrases:
twice a week; twice each month; every two months; every two years.
Usage Note:
The prefix bi-, when modifying an adverb of time,
means that the time interval should be doubled.
Thus, a bimonthly meeting takes place once every two months,
and a biweekly meeting once every two weeks.
The prefix semi-, in the same context,
means that the interval of time should be halved.
Thus, a semimonthly meeting is held twice a month
(that is, every half month),
and a semiweekly meeting twice a week.
Words with the prefix bi- and semi- are often confused,
So, expressions such as every two months or twice a month
are often preferable in order to avoid misinterpretation.
The A-Z of Correct English Common Errors in English Dictionary
BI-
This prefix means ‘two’. Hence bicycle bifocals bigamy, and so on.
Note, however, that some words beginning with ‘bi’ can be ambiguous.
See BIMONTHLY and BIWEEKLY.
See also BIANNUAL OR BIENNIAL?.
