ben
Translingual
English
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɛn/
- (pin–pen merger) IPA(key): /bɪn/
Audio (Southern England) (file) Audio (AU) (file) - Homophones: Ben, been (some accents), bin (pin-pen merger)
- Rhymes: -ɛn, -ɪn
Etymology 1
From Middle English ben, bene, from Old English bēn (“prayer, request, favor, compulsory service”), from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”). Related to ban. More at boon.
Alternative forms
Etymology 2
From Middle English ben, bene, variation of bin, binne (“within”), from Old English binnan (“within, in, inside of, into”), equivalent to be- + in.
Preposition
ben
- (Scotland, Northern England) In, into.
- 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin, published 2009, page 32:
- And he was waving to me to creep in, so I just did and then just to skip ben the front and then in the lobby.
Derived terms
- ben-end, ben-room
Noun
ben (plural bens)
Derived terms
References
Etymology 3
From Middle English been, from Old French and Medieval Latin, probably from a North African pronunciation of Arabic بَان (bān, “ben tree”).
Noun
ben (plural bens)
- A tree, Moringa oleifera or horseradish tree of Arabia and India, which produces oil of ben.
- The winged seed of the ben tree.
- The oil of the ben seed.
Synonyms
- (tree): drumstick tree, horseradish tree, moringa
Derived terms
- ben-nut
- ben oil
Translations
|
|
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 5
Borrowed from Scots ben, benn, from Scottish Gaelic beinn.
Derived terms
Adjective
ben (comparative benar, superlative benat)
- (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Alternative spelling of bene; good.
- 1611, Thomas Middleton, The Roaring Girle:
- A gage of ben Rom-bouse, / In a bousing-ken of Rom-vile, / Is benar than a Caster, / Pecke, pennam, lay, or popler, / Which we mill in deuse a vile.
Derived terms
Etymology 7
Shortening.
Noun
ben (plural bens)
- (UK, theater, slang, obsolete) A benefit (performance to raise funds).
- year?, The Catholic Literary Circular (page 75)
- In the Chronicles of the Stage, some curious particulars are given relating to Sir Henry Herbert and the well-known Sir William Davidson, by which we learn, amongst other things, that a “ben” or benefit at Drury Lane, two centuries ago, was worth a hundred pounds.
- year?, The Catholic Literary Circular (page 75)
References
- John Camden Hotten (1873) The Slang Dictionary
See also
Amele
References
- Pavol Štekauer, Salvador Valera, Lívia Kőrtvélyessy, Word-Formation in the World's Languages: A Typological Survey (2012)
Catalan
Adverb
ben
- Alternative form of bé
- Porteu un vestit ben bonic. ― Wear a very pretty dress.
- Demà al matí ben d'hora m'aixeco i viatjo a Milan. ― Tomorrow morning quite early I'll get up and travel to Milan.
Cimbrian
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle High German wenne, wanne, from Old High German hwenne, hwanne, from Proto-West Germanic *hwannā, from *hwan, from Proto-Germanic *hwan (“when”). Cognate with German wenn, wann, English when. Doublet of benn (adverb), from the same Middle High German source.
Conjunction
ben
References
- “ben” in Cimbrian, Ladin, Mòcheno: Getting to know 3 peoples. 2015. Servizio minoranze linguistiche locali della Provincia autonoma di Trento, Trento, Italy.
Danish
Etymology
From Old Norse bein (“bone, leg”), from Proto-Germanic *bainą, cognate with English bone, German Bein.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /beːˀn/, [ˈb̥eˀn]
Noun
Declension
References
- “ben” in Den Danske Ordbog
Domari
Etymology
From Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀩𑀳𑀺𑀡𑀻 (bahiṇī), from Sanskrit भगिनी (bhaginī). Cognate with Hindi बहन (bahan).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ben̪/, /bɛn̪/
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutch bim, from Proto-Germanic *beuną.
Pronunciation
Audio (file) - Rhymes: -ɛn
- IPA(key): /bɛn/
Usage notes
Ben, as an imperative, is considered non-standard, the standard form being wees.
Synonyms
- (imperative) wees
Descendants
- Skepi Creole Dutch: ben
References
Faroese
Etymology
From Old Norse ben, from Proto-Germanic *banjō.
Declension
Declension of ben | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
n3 | singular | plural | ||
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | ben | benið | ben | benini |
accusative | ben | benið | ben | benini |
dative | beni | beninum | benum | benunum |
genitive | bens | bensins | bena | benanna |
Declension of ben | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
n22 | singular | plural | ||
indefinite | definite | indefinite | definite | |
nominative | ben | benið | ben | benini |
accusative | ben | benið | ben | benini |
dative | beni | beninum | benjum, benum | benjunum, benunum |
genitive | bens | bensins | benja | benjanna |
Declension
f8 | Singular | Plural | ||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | ben | benin | benjar | benjarnar |
Accusative | ben | benina | benjar | benjarnar |
Dative | ben | benini | benjum | benjunum |
Genitive | benjar | benjarinnar | benja | benjanna |
Derived terms
- benjardøgg
- benjarkolvur
French
Etymology 1
Alternative form of bien
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɛ̃/
- Rhymes: -ɛ̃
Derived terms
Etymology 2
Clipping of bénard.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɛn/
Further reading
- “ben”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.
Friulian
Antonyms
Related terms
Galician
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Old Galician-Portuguese ben, from Latin bene.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbɛŋ/ [ˈbɛŋ]
- Rhymes: -ɛŋ
- Hyphenation: ben
Noun
ben m (plural bens)
Related terms
Adverb
ben
- well
- Antonym: mal
- Ben feito! ― Well done!
- very; a lot; enough
- Eche un rapaz ben espilido! ― He's a very smart young man!
- 1473, A. López Ferreiro, editor, Galicia Histórica. Colección diplomática, Santiago: Tipografía Galaica, page 29:
- cando se ganou dos mouros a grande batalla da figeira en donde tamen perdin e me mataron o cabalo e eu sahin ben librado enpero ben ferido de hua saetada enno braço dereito que non a vin curada fasta pasados ben tres meses
- when the great Battle of the Figtree was won to the Moors, where I also lost —and they killed— my horse and I got out safe but badly injured of an arrow shot in the right arm, wound that I saw not cured until more than three months later
- (followed by de or a contraction of de) a lot (of)
- Bótalle ben de zucre, sen medo! ― Add a lot of sugar, don't be shy!
- plus, or more, upwards
- c. 1295, R. Lorenzo, editor, La traducción gallega de la Crónica General y de la Crónica de Castilla, Ourense: I.E.O.P.F, page 174:
- Et durou a guerra dessa uez ontre elles bem dous ãnos, fazendosse todauia muyto mal os hũus aos outros, de guisa que, ante que sse aquella contenda fijnse, morrerõ y muytos
- And the war between them lasted that time for two years plus, making in every way a lot of harm the ones to the others, in wise that, before that conflict had ended, many died there
Related terms
References
- “ben” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
- “ben” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
- “ben” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
Italian
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbɛn/
- Hyphenation: bèn
Derived terms
Ladin
Mandarin
Romanization
ben
Usage notes
- Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
Manx
Etymology
From Old Irish ben, from Proto-Celtic *benā, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɛᵈn/
Mutation
Manx mutation | ||
---|---|---|
Radical | Lenition | Eclipsis |
ben | ven | men |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
References
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 ben”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
Middle English
References
- “bēn” listed in the Middle English Dictionary [2001]
Norwegian Bokmål
Alternative forms
Derived terms
References
- “ben” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Old Dutch
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *bainą.
Inflection
Descendants
Further reading
- “bēn”, in Oudnederlands Woordenboek, 2012
Old English
Etymology 1
From Proto-Germanic *bōniz. Cognate with Old Norse bón.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /beːn/
Noun
bēn f (nominative plural bēne or bēna)
- prayer, praying
- request, entreaty
- boon
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Basilius, Bishop"
- Bide nu æt gode þæt ic grecisc cunne. Þa cwæþ se biscop him to, þu bæde ofer mine mæðe ac uton swa þeah biddan þas bena æt gode.
- Pray now to God that I may know Greek. Pray now to God that I may know Greek. Then said the Bishop to him, 'Thou hast asked beyond my power, but let us, nevertheless, ask this boon of God.'
- late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Basilius, Bishop"
Declension
Descendants
Etymology 2
From Proto-Germanic *banjō. Cognate with Old Norse ben.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ben/
Old French
Old Frisian
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *bain, from Proto-Germanic *bainą. Cognates include Old English bān, Old Saxon bēn and Old Dutch bēn.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbeːn/, [ˈbɛːn]
Descendants
References
- Bremmer, Rolf H. (2009) An Introduction to Old Frisian: History, Grammar, Reader, Glossary, Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, →ISBN
Old Irish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bʲen/
Etymology 1
From Proto-Celtic *benā, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.
Noun
ben f (genitive mná, nominative plural mná)
- woman
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 31c7
- arna érbarthar, “Ó chretsit, nín·tá airli ar mban”
- lest it be said, “Since they believed, we do not have management (?) of our women”
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 31c7
- wife
- Synonym: séitig
- c. 800, Würzburg Glosses on the Pauline Epistles, published in Thesaurus Palaeohibernicus (reprinted 1987, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies), edited and with translations by Whitley Stokes and John Strachan, vol. I, pp. 499–712, Wb. 22c10
- Is bés trá dosom aní-siu cosc inna mban i tossug et a tabairt fo chumacte a feir, armbat irlamu de ind ḟir fo chumacte Dǽi, co·mbí íarum coscitir ind ḟir et do·airbertar fo réir Dǽ.
- This, then, is a custom of his, to correct the wives at first and to bring them under the power of their husbands, so that the husbands may be the readier under God’s power, so that afterwards the husbands are corrected and bowed down in subjection to God.
Inflection
Feminine irregular | |||
---|---|---|---|
Singular | Dual | Plural | |
Nominative | ben | mnaí | mná |
Vocative | ben | mnaí | mná |
Accusative | bein, mnaí | mnaí | mná |
Genitive | mná | ban | ban |
Dative | mnaí | mnáib | mnáib |
Initial mutations of a following adjective:
|
Derived terms
Etymology 2
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Mutation
Old Irish mutation | ||
---|---|---|
Radical | Lenition | Nasalization |
ben | ben pronounced with /v(ʲ)-/ |
mben |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
Further reading
- G. Toner, M. Ní Mhaonaigh, S. Arbuthnot, D. Wodtko, M.-L. Theuerkauf, editors (2019), “1 ben”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
- Thurneysen, Rudolf (1940, reprinted 2017) D. A. Binchy and Osborn Bergin, transl., A Grammar of Old Irish, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, →ISBN, § 291, page 184
Old Norse
Etymology
From Proto-Germanic *banjō.
Declension
References
- “ben”, in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press
Old Occitan
Descendants
- Occitan: ben
References
- Walther von Wartburg (1928–2002) “bene”, in Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch (in German), volumes 1: A–B, page 322
Old Saxon
Etymology
From Proto-West Germanic *bain.
Old Swedish
Alternative forms
- ᛒᚽᚿ (Runic)
Etymology
From Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /beːn/
Declension
Descendants
- Swedish: ben
Scots
Etymology 1
From Old English binnan.
Preposition
ben
- Through, in, into, inside (a dwelling).
- A gaed ben the chaumer.
- Come awah ben, hen.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic beinn.
Serbo-Croatian
Etymology
Borrowed from Ottoman Turkish بك (beñ).
Sranan Tongo
Particle
ben
- Verbal marker for the past tense.
Usage notes
This marker can be combined with the markers sa or o for the future tense and e for the progressive aspect, in which case the order, if all are used, is that of ben sa/o e. Some examples:
- mi ben waka: “I had walked”.
- mi ben e waka: “I was walking”.
- mi ben sa waka: “I would walk”.
- mi ben sa e waka: “I would have been walking”.
Derived terms
Swedish
Etymology
From Old Swedish bēn, from Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.
Pronunciation
audio (file) - IPA(key): /ˈbeːn/
Noun
ben n
Declension
Declension of ben | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | ben | benet | ben | benen |
Genitive | bens | benets | bens | benens |
Related terms
- armbågsben
- bakben
- bena
- bena upp
- bena ut
- benaska
- benbildning
- benbit
- benbrott
- benfisk
- benflisa
- benfri
- benfärgad
- benföring
- benget
- bengädda
- benhinna
- benhus
- benhård
- benig
- benighet
- bening
- benkläder
- benknota
- benknäckare
- benkol
- benlim
- benlinda
- benling
- benläder
- benlös
- benmassa
- benmjöl
- benmuskel
- benmärg
- benpipa
- benporslin
- benprotes
- benrangel
- benrester
- benröta
- bensax
- benskada
- benskena
- benskydd
- benskör
- benskörhet
- benspark
- bensprattel
- benstomme
- bensträckare
- benstump
- benstyrka
- bensår
- bentackling
- bentag
- benutrymme
- benved
- benvit
- benvärmare
- benvävnad
- bröstben
- båtben
- enbent
- fingerben
- fiskben
- framben
- fyrbent
- handlovsben
- hundben
- karpalben
- kobent
- korsben
- köttben
- lårben
- lösben
- mellanhandsben
- nyckelben
- penisben
- revben
- skenben
- skinn och ben
- strålben
- trebent
- träben
- tvåbent
- underben
- vadben
- vristben
- överarmsben
References
Turkish
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɛn/, /bæn/
- Hyphenation: ben
Etymology 1
From Ottoman Turkish بن (ben, “I”), from Proto-Turkic *ben (“I”).[1][2]
Cognate with Old Turkic 𐰢𐰤 (mn² /men/), 𐰋𐰤 (b²n² /ben/, “I”), Karakhanid مَنْ (men, “I”), Azerbaijani mən, Bashkir мин (min), Chuvash эпӗ (ep̬ĕ), Kazakh мен (men), Kyrgyz мен (men), Turkmen men.
Possibly related to Mongolian би (bi, “I”), Manchu ᠪᡳ (bi, “I”) (however, the Altaic family theory is now only supported by a minority of scholars).[3]
Usage notes
Declension
See also
Etymology 2
From Ottoman Turkish بك (beñ, “mole”), from Proto-Turkic *beŋ (“mole on the face”).[4]
Cognate with Bashkir миң (miñ), Kyrgyz мең (meŋ), Kazakh мең (meñ) Turkmen meň, Yakut мэҥ (meñ).
Also compare Mongolian мэнгэ (menge, “mole, birthmark”). (Can this(+) etymology be sourced?)
Declension
Inflection | ||
---|---|---|
Nominative | ben | |
Definite accusative | beni | |
Singular | Plural | |
Nominative | ben | benler |
Definite accusative | beni | benleri |
Dative | bene | benlere |
Locative | bende | benlerde |
Ablative | benden | benlerden |
Genitive | benin | benlerin |
Derived terms
- benli
- bensiz
Related terms
References
- Starostin, Sergei, Dybo, Anna, Mudrak, Oleg (2003) “*bẹ-”, in Etymological dictionary of the Altaic languages (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.8), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill
- Nişanyan, Sevan (2002–) “ben”, in Nişanyan Sözlük
- Janhunen, Juha (2013) “Personal pronouns in Core Altaic”, in Martine Irma Robbeets, editor, Shared Grammaticalization: With Special Focus on the Transeurasian Languages, page 221; republished as Hubert Cuyckens, editor, (Please provide a date or year)
- Starostin, Sergei, Dybo, Anna, Mudrak, Oleg (2003) “*beŋ”, in Etymological dictionary of the Altaic languages (Handbuch der Orientalistik; VIII.8), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
- (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ʔɓɛn˧˧]
- (Huế) IPA(key): [ʔɓɛŋ˧˧]
- (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [ʔɓɛŋ˧˧]
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Verb
ben
- (Southern Vietnam) to be comparable
- Synonym: bì
- Ai thong thả, trâu nào ben được ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)
Volapük
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): [ben]
Declension
Derived terms
- bened (“a blessing”)
- benik
- beno (“well”, adverb)
- benod (“good deed, charitable act, benefit, benefaction”)
- benäd (“grace”)
- benädü God (“by God's grace, by the Grace of God”)
- benö!
- benön (“be well, be prosperous”, intransitive verb)
- benü (“for the benefit of”) (pöfikans (“the poor”))
Related terms
- benedam (“benediction, blessing (as an action)”)
- benedik (“benedictive, rich in blessings”)
- benedön (“bless”, transitive verb)
- beniköl (“doing well, thriving, flourishing”)
- benikön (“become well, prosper, thrive, flourish”, intransitive verb)
- benoköm (“a welcome”)
- benokömaglidön (“to welcome, bid welcome”, transitive verb)
- benokömö (“welcome!”)!
- benokömön (“arrive at the opportune moment”, intransitive verb)
- benolab (“wellness, i.e. "having (it) well", well-being, prosperity, affluence”)
- benolabik (“prosperous, well-to-do”)
- benovimik (“good-tempered”)
- benovip (“congratulation”)
- benovipön (“congratulate, wish (someone) well”, transitive verb)
- benädik (“gracious”)
- benüköl
- benükön (“benefit”, transitive verb)
Welsh
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /bɛn/
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ˈbɛn/
Etymology 1
From Middle Welsh benn, from Proto-Celtic *bend(n)ā (whence Latin benna), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰendʰ- (“to bind”).