bitan

See also: bǐtán

Basque

Numeral

bitan

1. inessive indefinite of bi

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bītan, from Proto-Germanic *bītaną.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiː.tɑn/

Verb

bītan

1. to bite
   • 10th century, Exeter Book Riddle 5‎:

     …ac mec hnossiað homera lāfa, heardecg heoroscearp, hondweorc smiþa bītað in burgum;

     …but remains of hammers strike me, harsh edge of sharp sword, handiworks of smiths bite in boroughs;

Conjugation

Conjugation of bītan (strong, class I)

infinitive	bītan	bītenne
indicative mood	present tense	past tense
first person singular	bīte	bāt
second person singular	bītst	bite
third person singular	bītt, bīt	bāt
plural	bītaþ	biton
subjunctive	present tense	past tense
singular	bīte	bite
plural	bīten	biten
imperative
singular	bīt
plural	bītaþ
participle	present	past
	bītende	(ġe)biten

Derived terms

• ābītan
• bebītan
• forbītan
• onbītan

Related terms

• *bātian
• bita
• *bitian
• bitt
• bitu

Descendants

• Middle English: biten
  • English: bite

Old High German

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bīdan

Verb

bītan

1. to wait

Conjugation

Conjugation of bītan (strong class 1)

infinitive	bītan
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	bītu, bīto	beit
2nd person singular	bītis, bītist	biti
3rd person singular	bītit	beit
1st person plural	bītem, bītemēs	bitum, bitumēs
2nd person plural	bītet	bitut
3rd person plural	bītant	bitun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	bīte	biti
2nd person singular	bītēs, bītēst	bitīs, bitīst
3rd person singular	bīte	biti
1st person plural	bītēm, bītemēs	bitīm, bitīmēs
2nd person plural	bītēt	bitīt
3rd person plural	bītēn	bitīn
imperative	present
singular	bīt
plural	bītet
participle	present	past
	bītanti	gibitan

Descendants

• Middle High German: bīten
  • Alemannic German: beite
  • Cimbrian: paiten
  • German: beiten (dialectal)

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *bītan.

Verb

bītan

1. to bite

Conjugation

Conjugation of bītan (strong class 1)

infinitive	bītan
indicative	present	past
1st person singular	bītu	bēt
2nd person singular	bītis	biti
3rd person singular	bītid	bēt
plural	bītad	bitun
subjunctive	present	past
1st person singular	bīte	biti
2nd person singular	bītes	bitis
3rd person singular	bīte	biti
plural	bīten	bitin
imperative	present
singular	bīt
plural	bītad
participle	present	past
	bītandi	gibitan, bitan

Descendants

• Low German: bieten

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bîtan/
• Hyphenation: bi‧tan

Adjective

bȉtan (Cyrillic spelling би̏тан, definite bȉtnī, comparative bitniji)

1. essential, inherent, vital
2. important, significant, crucial
3. relevant, pertinent, apposite

Declension

positive indefinite forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		bitan	bitna	bitno
genitive		bitna	bitne	bitna
dative		bitnu	bitnoj	bitnu
accusative	inanimate animate	bitan bitna	bitnu	bitno
vocative		bitan	bitna	bitno
locative		bitnu	bitnoj	bitnu
instrumental		bitnim	bitnom	bitnim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		bitni	bitne	bitna
genitive		bitnih	bitnih	bitnih
dative		bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)
accusative		bitne	bitne	bitna
vocative		bitni	bitne	bitna
locative		bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)
instrumental		bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)

positive definite forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		bitni	bitna	bitno
genitive		bitnog(a)	bitne	bitnog(a)
dative		bitnom(u/e)	bitnoj	bitnom(u/e)
accusative	inanimate animate	bitni bitnog(a)	bitnu	bitno
vocative		bitni	bitna	bitno
locative		bitnom(e/u)	bitnoj	bitnom(e/u)
instrumental		bitnim	bitnom	bitnim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		bitni	bitne	bitna
genitive		bitnih	bitnih	bitnih
dative		bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)
accusative		bitne	bitne	bitna
vocative		bitni	bitne	bitna
locative		bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)
instrumental		bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)	bitnim(a)

comparative forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		bitniji	bitnija	bitnije
genitive		bitnijeg(a)	bitnije	bitnijeg(a)
dative		bitnijem(u)	bitnijoj	bitnijem(u)
accusative	inanimate animate	bitniji bitnijeg(a)	bitniju	bitnije
vocative		bitniji	bitnija	bitnije
locative		bitnijem(u)	bitnijoj	bitnijem(u)
instrumental		bitnijim	bitnijom	bitnijim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		bitniji	bitnije	bitnija
genitive		bitnijih	bitnijih	bitnijih
dative		bitnijim(a)	bitnijim(a)	bitnijim(a)
accusative		bitnije	bitnije	bitnija
vocative		bitniji	bitnije	bitnija
locative		bitnijim(a)	bitnijim(a)	bitnijim(a)
instrumental		bitnijim(a)	bitnijim(a)	bitnijim(a)

superlative forms

singular		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		najbitniji	najbitnija	najbitnije
genitive		najbitnijeg(a)	najbitnije	najbitnijeg(a)
dative		najbitnijem(u)	najbitnijoj	najbitnijem(u)
accusative	inanimate animate	najbitniji najbitnijeg(a)	najbitniju	najbitnije
vocative		najbitniji	najbitnija	najbitnije
locative		najbitnijem(u)	najbitnijoj	najbitnijem(u)
instrumental		najbitnijim	najbitnijom	najbitnijim
plural		masculine	feminine	neuter
nominative		najbitniji	najbitnije	najbitnija
genitive		najbitnijih	najbitnijih	najbitnijih
dative		najbitnijim(a)	najbitnijim(a)	najbitnijim(a)
accusative		najbitnije	najbitnije	najbitnija
vocative		najbitniji	najbitnije	najbitnija
locative		najbitnijim(a)	najbitnijim(a)	najbitnijim(a)
instrumental		najbitnijim(a)	najbitnijim(a)	najbitnijim(a)

Further reading

• “bitan”, in Hrvatski jezični portal [Croatian language portal] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2006–2025