Benjamin

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English[edit]

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology[edit]

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right/south or son of days). Authorities differ on the meaning of the original Hebrew. Philo of Alexandria, the Samaritan Pentateuch The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs and Midrash Leḳaḥ-Ṭob understand יָמִין to mean "days" (a meaning attested in Daniel 12:13) understanding the name to mean "son of days (i.e. old age)" (compare to the direct translations into Arabic بِنْ يَومِين (bin yawmīn) "son of the days" and Arabic بِنْ يَمِين (bin yamīn) "son of the right hand"), a formula paraphrased in Genesis 40:22 where Benjamin is described as a child of Jacob's old age. Rashi in his commentary on Genesis also gives this as a possible meaning but favors an understanding of יָמִין to mean "right" in the sense of "the south", noting that Benjamin was the only son of Jacob born in the south. Jerome understood the name to mean "son of the right hand" and Gesenius speculated that this expression might have meant "son of good fortune".

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/, /ˈbɛnd͡ʒɚmɪn/
  • (pinpen merger) IPA(key): /ˈbɪnd͡ʒəmɪn/, /ˈbɪnd͡ʒɚmɪn/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin (countable and uncountable, plural Benjamins)

  1. The youngest of the sons of Jacob and Rachel in the Bible.
    • :
      And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
    • 1908, George Bernard Shaw, Getting Married:
      What about the youngest child - the Benjamin - the child of its parents' mature strength and charity, always better treated than the unfortunate eldest children of their youthful ignorance and wilfulness?
  2. A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
    • 2007, Mark Schreiber, Starcrossed, Llewellyn Worldwide, →ISBN, page 53:
      "Well, who the hell ever thinks some boy with a name like Benjamin is going to kill someone?" I said. "It's like someone named Winnie the Pooh taking hostages!"
  3. A small city, the county seat of Knox County, Texas, United States.
  4. A surname transferred from the given name.

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

Noun[edit]

Benjamin (plural Benjamins)

  1. (US slang, often in the plural) A US$100 bill, which bears a portrait of Benjamin Franklin.
    Synonyms: Ben, Ben Franklin, Benjamin Franklin, Franklin
    • 1994, “One More Chance”, in Ready to Die, performed by The Notorious B.I.G.:
      Fuck the past, let's dwell on the 500SL, the E&J and ginger ale / The way my pockets swell to the rims with Benjamins
    • 1997, “It's All About the Benjamins”, in No Way Out, performed by Puff Daddy ft. Lil' Kim, the Lox, and The Notorious B.I.G.:
      Swimmin' in women wit they own condominiums / Five plus fives, who drive millenniums / It's all about the Benjamins, what?
    • 2006 April 12, Dean Ornish, “Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins”, in Newsweek[1], archived from the original on 2006-11-28:
      Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins [title]

Usage notes[edit]

Often used in the plural form to indicate large sums of money.

Alternative forms[edit]

See also[edit]

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

Cebuano[edit]

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Etymology[edit]

From English Benjamin, from Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right [hand]). Also from Spanish Benjamín.

Pronunciation[edit]

  • Hyphenation: ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin

  1. a male given name from English
  2. (biblical) Benjamin
  3. the tribe of Benjamin

Danish[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

Related terms[edit]

Dutch[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle Dutch benjamin, from Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right/south or son of days).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛn.jaːˌmɪn/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin m

  1. Benjamin (Biblical character, mythological son of Jacob)
  2. a male given name

Faroese[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right [hand]).

Pronunciation[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin m

  1. (biblical) Benjamin
  2. a male given name

Usage notes[edit]

  • son of Benjamin: Benjaminsson
  • daughter of Benjamin: Benjaminsdóttir

Declension[edit]

Singular
Indefinite
Nominative Benjamin
Accusative Benjamin
Dative Benjamini
Genitive Benjamins

Finnish[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn).

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈbenjɑmin/, [ˈbe̞njɑ̝min]
  • Rhymes: -enjɑmin
  • Syllabification(key): Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
    • 1933, Bible, Genesis 35:18:
      Mutta kun hänen henkensä oli lähtemäisillään, sillä hänen oli kuoltava, antoi hän hänelle nimen Benoni, mutta hänen isänsä antoi hänelle nimen Benjamin.
      And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
  2. a male given name
    • 1923, Frans Hjalmar Nortamo, Helmikoristeinen kirjanmerkki, WSOY (1947), John 20:24-25, page 33:
      Rovasti oli sitä paitsi arvellut olevan parasta, että Penua tästä lähtien ruvettaisiin kutsumaan Kustaaksi, koska nimi Benjamin ja sen lyhennys Penu varmasti antaisi hänen koulutovereilleen aihetta pilan tekoon ja härnäilemiseen.
      Furthermore, the provost had said that it would be best that Penu should be called Kustaa from this onwards, because the name Benjamin and its shorter form Penu would certainly give his schoolmates a cause to bantering and bullying.

Declension[edit]

Inflection of Benjamin (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative Benjamin Benjaminit
genitive Benjaminin Benjaminien
partitive Benjaminia Benjamineja
illative Benjaminiin Benjamineihin
singular plural
nominative Benjamin Benjaminit
accusative nom. Benjamin Benjaminit
gen. Benjaminin
genitive Benjaminin Benjaminien
partitive Benjaminia Benjamineja
inessive Benjaminissa Benjamineissa
elative Benjaminista Benjamineista
illative Benjaminiin Benjamineihin
adessive Benjaminilla Benjamineilla
ablative Benjaminilta Benjamineilta
allative Benjaminille Benjamineille
essive Benjaminina Benjamineina
translative Benjaminiksi Benjamineiksi
abessive Benjaminitta Benjamineitta
instructive Benjaminein
comitative See the possessive forms below.
Possessive forms of Benjamin (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
first-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative Benjaminini Benjaminini
accusative nom. Benjaminini Benjaminini
gen. Benjaminini
genitive Benjaminini Benjaminieni
partitive Benjaminiani Benjaminejani
inessive Benjaminissani Benjamineissani
elative Benjaministani Benjamineistani
illative Benjaminiini Benjamineihini
adessive Benjaminillani Benjamineillani
ablative Benjaminiltani Benjamineiltani
allative Benjaminilleni Benjamineilleni
essive Benjamininani Benjamineinani
translative Benjaminikseni Benjamineikseni
abessive Benjaminittani Benjamineittani
instructive
comitative Benjamineineni
second-person singular possessor
singular plural
nominative Benjaminisi Benjaminisi
accusative nom. Benjaminisi Benjaminisi
gen. Benjaminisi
genitive Benjaminisi Benjaminiesi
partitive Benjaminiasi Benjaminejasi
inessive Benjaminissasi Benjamineissasi
elative Benjaministasi Benjamineistasi
illative Benjaminiisi Benjamineihisi
adessive Benjaminillasi Benjamineillasi
ablative Benjaminiltasi Benjamineiltasi
allative Benjaminillesi Benjamineillesi
essive Benjamininasi Benjamineinasi
translative Benjaminiksesi Benjamineiksesi
abessive Benjaminittasi Benjamineittasi
instructive
comitative Benjamineinesi
first-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative Benjaminimme Benjaminimme
accusative nom. Benjaminimme Benjaminimme
gen. Benjaminimme
genitive Benjaminimme Benjaminiemme
partitive Benjaminiamme Benjaminejamme
inessive Benjaminissamme Benjamineissamme
elative Benjaministamme Benjamineistamme
illative Benjaminiimme Benjamineihimme
adessive Benjaminillamme Benjamineillamme
ablative Benjaminiltamme Benjamineiltamme
allative Benjaminillemme Benjamineillemme
essive Benjamininamme Benjamineinamme
translative Benjaminiksemme Benjamineiksemme
abessive Benjaminittamme Benjamineittamme
instructive
comitative Benjamineinemme
second-person plural possessor
singular plural
nominative Benjamininne Benjamininne
accusative nom. Benjamininne Benjamininne
gen. Benjamininne
genitive Benjamininne Benjaminienne
partitive Benjaminianne Benjaminejanne
inessive Benjaminissanne Benjamineissanne
elative Benjaministanne Benjamineistanne
illative Benjaminiinne Benjamineihinne
adessive Benjaminillanne Benjamineillanne
ablative Benjaminiltanne Benjamineiltanne
allative Benjaminillenne Benjamineillenne
essive Benjamininanne Benjamineinanne
translative Benjaminiksenne Benjamineiksenne
abessive Benjaminittanne Benjamineittanne
instructive
comitative Benjamineinenne
third-person possessor
singular plural
nominative Benjamininsa Benjamininsa
accusative nom. Benjamininsa Benjamininsa
gen. Benjamininsa
genitive Benjamininsa Benjaminiensa
partitive Benjaminiaan
Benjaminiansa
Benjaminejaan
Benjaminejansa
inessive Benjaminissaan
Benjaminissansa
Benjamineissaan
Benjamineissansa
elative Benjaministaan
Benjaministansa
Benjamineistaan
Benjamineistansa
illative Benjaminiinsa Benjamineihinsa
adessive Benjaminillaan
Benjaminillansa
Benjamineillaan
Benjamineillansa
ablative Benjaminiltaan
Benjaminiltansa
Benjamineiltaan
Benjamineiltansa
allative Benjaminilleen
Benjaminillensa
Benjamineilleen
Benjamineillensa
essive Benjamininaan
Benjamininansa
Benjamineinaan
Benjamineinansa
translative Benjaminikseen
Benjaminiksensa
Benjamineikseen
Benjamineiksensa
abessive Benjaminittaan
Benjaminittansa
Benjamineittaan
Benjamineittansa
instructive
comitative Benjamineineen
Benjamineinensa

Related terms[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin

  1. genitive singular of Benjam

Statistics[edit]

  • Benjamin is the 154th most common male given name in Finland, belonging to 4,102 male individuals (and as a middle name to 8,073 more), and also belongs to 6 female individuals (and as a middle name to 14 more, making it more common as a middle name), according to February 2023 data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency of Finland.

French[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin m

  1. (biblical) Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

German[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛnjaˌmiːn/, /-ˌmɪn/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin m (proper noun, strong, genitive Benjamins)

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

Noun[edit]

Benjamin m (strong, genitive Benjamins, plural Benjamine)

  1. youngest child

Related terms[edit]

Further reading[edit]

  • Benjamin” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Benjamin” in Duden online

Latin[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin m (indeclinable)

  1. Alternative form of Beniamin

Manx[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin m

  1. a male given name

Mutation[edit]

Manx mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
Benjamin Venjamin Menjamin
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Norwegian[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

Swedish[edit]

Proper noun[edit]

Benjamin c (genitive Benjamins)

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

Related terms[edit]