Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *umbi ‎(“around, near”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂m̥bʰi ‎(“round about, around”), akin to Old High German umbi ‎(“around”), Latin ambi ‎(“both, around”), Ancient Greek ἀμφί ‎(amphí, “on both sides, around”), Old Irish imb, Old English bī ‎(“near, by”). More at by