bly

English

Etymology

Probably from a dialectal variant of blee (“complexion, aspect, colour, hue”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blaɪ/

  • Audio (Southern England)

    (file)

• Rhymes: -aɪ

Noun

bly (plural blies)

1. (now chiefly dialectal) Likeness; resemblance; look aspect; species; character.

   I see a bly of your father about you.

Afrikaans

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bləi/

Etymology 1

From Dutch blijven, from Middle Dutch bliven, from Old Dutch blīvan (“to remain”), from Proto-Germanic *bilībaną (“to remain”).

Verb

bly (present bly, present participle blywende, past participle gebly)

1. to live (somewhere)

   Ons bly in 'n dorpie by die see.

   We live in a small village near the sea.

2. to stay; to remain

   Hulle bly sit in die motor.

   They continue to sit in the car.

   • 1921, “Die Stem van Suid-Afrika”, C.J. Langenhoven (lyrics), M.L. de Villiers (music), South Africa:

     Dat die erwe van ons vadere, vir ons kinders erwe bly.

     That the heritage of our fathers, for our children heritage remain.

Etymology 2

From Dutch blij, from Middle Dutch blide, from Old Dutch *blīthi, from Proto-West Germanic *blīþī, from Proto-Germanic *blīþiz.

Adjective

bly (attributive blye, comparative blyer, superlative blyste)

1. happy

   Ek is baie bly vir jou!

   I am very happy for you!

Danish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key):

Etymology 1

From Old Norse blý.

Noun

bly n (singular definite blyet, not used in plural form)

1. lead (metal)
2. (informal) lead; bullets fired from a firearm
   • 2010, Niels Ole Qvist, Tango 4, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

     Han holder af at stå i skyggen under bliktaget og spy bly ud over terrænet uden at blive forstyrret.

     He likes to stand in the shade under the sheetmetal roof and pump lead out over the terrain without being interrupted.

   • 2015, Nicolai Lilin, Sibirisk opdragelse: Opvækst i en kriminel underverden, Art People, →ISBN:

     Mel skød som sædvanlig fuldstændig vildt, idet han forsøgte at lave maskingeværssalver med sin pistol, så der fløj bly i alle retninger.

     As usual, Mel shot wildly, as he attempted to make machine gun salvos with his pistol, so that lead went in all directions.

Declension

Synonyms

• (metal): plumbum (rare)

Etymology 2

From Old Norse *bljúgr, whence also Icelandic bljúgur, Swedish blyg. Compare also Middle High German bliuc.

Adjective

bly

1. shy, timid
   • 2014, Robyn Grady, Michelle Reid, Sandra Marton, Altid hos dig/Ægteskab på afveje/Den uskyldige pige, Förlaget Harlequin AB, →ISBN:

     Hun ligger som regel stadig inde i sengen. Hun er meget bly.

     She usually still lies in the bed. She is very shy.

   • 2014, Lone Klint Grønbæk, Camino: Vandring og forandring, BoD – Books on Demand, →ISBN, page 61:

     Daniella, den yngste af de 3 italienske nonner, var meget kontaktsøgende. Hun var, modsat de andre, endnu ikke bly, ydmyg og privat.

     Daniella, the youngest of the three Italian nuns, was very extroverted. She was, unlike the others, not yet shy, humble and private.

Derived terms

• bly viol

Etymology 3

Derived from the adjective bly; probably modelled after sky (“shyness”), which is also related to an identical adjective sky (“shy”).

Noun

bly

1. (archaic) Reluctance to express thoughts.
   • 1848, Nyt historisk tidsskrift, page 58:

     thi Konger og Stormænd have Alting undtagen Sandhedsmænd og behøve derfor meest de Bøger, som dristig uden Bly og Frygt paaminde os i alle vore Gierninger; de ere ikke alle troe Venner, der ere Kongetienere."

     for kings and lords have everything but men of truth and therefore are in greatest need of the books which, boldly and without worry and fear, remind us in all our doings that not all those who serve kings are faithful friends.

References

• “bly” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “bly,2” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “bly” in Ordbog over det danske Sprog

Norwegian Bokmål

Norwegian Wikipedia has an article on:

bly

Wikipedia ^no

Etymology

From Old Norse blý.

Noun

bly n (definite singular blyet, uncountable)

1. lead (material and chemical element, symbol Pb)

Derived terms

• blyfri

References

• “bly” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

bly

Wikipedia ⁿⁿ

Etymology

From Old Norse blý.

Noun

bly n (definite singular blyet, uncountable)

1. lead (material and chemical element, symbol Pb)

References

• “bly” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse blý.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /blyː/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

bly n (uncountable)

1. lead (chemical element)

Declension

Related terms

• blyad
• blyfri
• blyerts
• blytung

Further reading

• bly in Svensk ordbok.