beside

B2 Topic:Grammar & Function Words

US /bɪˈsaɪd/ UK /bɪˈsaɪd/ See IPA manual

Freq #3296

Meanings

1

prep
Next to; at the side of.

A small table stood beside the bed.
2

prep
Not connected with; away from the main subject.

That argument is beside the point.

Thesaurus

Word family

Derived forms besidelybesidenessbesidestherebeside

Etymology

From Middle English beside, besiden, bisyde (also besides > besides), from Old English be sīdan, bī sīdan (“by the side (of), on the side (of)”). Compare Saterland Frisian biesiede (“aside”), German Low German bisied (“aside”), German beiseite (“aside, to one side”). Compare also Dutch terzijde (“aside”). By surface analysis, be- + side.

beside Middle English be sīdan Old English

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Grammar & Function Words

External links

# beside

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** prep
**IPA (US):** /bɪˈsaɪd/
**IPA (UK):** /bɪˈsaɪd/
**Frequency rank:** 3296

## Meanings
1. Next to; at the side of.
2. Not connected with; away from the main subject.

## Examples
- A small table stood beside the bed.
- That argument is beside the point.

## Derived Forms
- besidely
- besideness
- besides
- therebeside

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: beside
- Root: be sīdan

## Etymology
From Middle English beside, besiden, bisyde (also besides > besides), from Old English be sīdan, bī sīdan (“by the side (of), on the side (of)”). Compare Saterland Frisian biesiede (“aside”), German Low German bisied (“aside”), German beiseite (“aside, to one side”). Compare also Dutch terzijde (“aside”). By surface analysis, be- + side.

## AI Etymology
Beside comes from Middle English beside, besiden, bisyde (also besides > besides), from Old English be sīdan, bī sīdan (“by the side (of), on the side (of)”). Compare Saterland Frisian biesiede (“aside”), German Low German bisied (“aside”), German beiseite (“aside, to one side”). Compare also Dutch terzijde (“aside”). By surface analysis, be- + side.

## Topics
- Grammar & Function Words

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