by-form

[bahy-fawrm]

noun

Linguistics.

1. a closely related and sometimes less frequent form, as spelt for spelled; variant.

by-form

noun

1. a subsidiary or variant form

Word History and Origins

Origin of by-form¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

The Oxford dictionary says the word is a "by-form of the surname Jarvis," but I am not learned enough to see the connection, unless it was Mr. Jarvis who drove the first side-car.

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The by-form Hr�arr, which is used of the famous Danish king, is due to a number of rather irregular changes, which can however be paralleled.

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The by-form Clodius, in its origin a mere orthographical variant, was regularly used for certain Claudii in late republican times, but otherwise the two forms were used indifferently.

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Analogous to alliteration and perhaps to be classed as a by-form of it is the subtle use of the same sound in unstressed parts of neighboring words, as in— Over the dark abyss, whose boiling gulf Tamely endured a bridge of wondrous length.

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It is hardly a “by-form” of nuptum as Muss-Arnolt, Assyrian Dictionary, p. 690b, and others have supposed, though nu-um-tum in one passage quoted by Muss-Arnolt, ib. p. 705a, may have arisen from an aspirate pronunciation of the p in nubtum.

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