by vs near

by

prep
  • Not later than (the given time); not later than the end of (the given time interval). 

  • Following a passive verb. 

  • Acted on in units of the specified size or measure. (Sometimes hyperbolically) 

  • Designates a horse's male parent (sire); cf. out of. 

  • Indicates the amount of change, difference or discrepancy 

  • Indicates a means of achieving something: Involving/using the means of. 

  • Indicates a means of classification or organisation. 

  • At, with, among 

  • Indicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of. 

  • Near or next to. 

  • Following a noun. 

  • Following an adjective. 

  • In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another. 

  • Indicates an authority according to which something is done. 

  • per; with or in proportion to each. 

  • Indicates a referenced source: According to. 

  • Invokes an authority in an oath. 

  • Used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something. 

  • From one side of something to the other, passing close by; past. 

adj
  • Out of the way, off to one side. 

  • Subsidiary, incidental. 

adv
  • Along a path which runs past the speaker. 

  • Aside, away. 

  • To or at a place, as a residence or place of business. 

  • In the vicinity, near. 

near

prep
  • Close to in time. 

  • Physically close to, in close proximity to. 

  • Close to in nature or degree. 

noun
  • The left side of a horse or of a team of horses pulling a carriage etc. 

verb
  • To come closer to; to approach. 

adv
  • At or towards a position close in space or time. 

  • Nearly; almost. 

adj
  • Physically close. 

  • So as barely to avoid or pass injury or loss; close; narrow. 

  • Close to anything followed or imitated; not free, loose, or rambling. 

  • Within the currently selected segment in a segmented memory architecture. 

  • Close in time. 

  • Closely connected or related. 

  • Close to one's interests, affection, etc.; intimate; dear. 

  • Approximate, almost. 

  • On the side nearest to the kerb (the left-hand side if one drives on the left). 

How often have the words by and near occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )