Sunday, July 3, 2011

transport etymology 4 - bypass


The main old Norse (widely spoken in England during the 8th - 10th centuries) word for a town is by, so literally a bypass means a road that avoids a town rather than goes through it.  In recent times it has developed the broader meaning of a route that avoids an obstacle as in coronary bypass. By in its original meaning also occurs in "bylaw".

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