ben

See also Ben, bēn, běn, bèn, been, benn, -ben, and ben-

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ben/
• Rhymes: -ɛn

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 *bʰā- (“to say”). Related to ban. More at boon.

Alternative forms

• bene

Noun

ben (plural bens)

1. (obsolete) A prayer; a petition.

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

1. (Scotland, northern England) In, into.
   • 2008, James Kelman, Kieron Smith, Boy, Penguin 2009, p. 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.

Adjective

ben (comparative benner, superlative benmost)

1. Inner, interior.

Derived terms

• ben-end, ben-room

Noun

ben (plural bens)

1. (Scotland, Northern England) Ben-room: The inner room of a two-room hut or shack (as opposed to the but).

Etymology 3

Probably representing a North African pronunciation of Arabic بان (bān, “ben tree”)

Noun

ben (plural bens)

1. A tree, Moringa oleifera or horseradish tree of Arabia and India, which produces oil of ben.
2. The winged seed of the ben tree.
3. The oil of the ben seed.

Derived terms

• ben-nut

Translations

ben tree

• Arabic: بان (bān) m

• Russian: моринга (morínga) f

seed of the ben tree

oil of ben

• Russian: мориндовое масло (morindóvoje máslo) n

Etymology 4

Arabic بن and Hebrew בן (ben, “son”).

Alternative forms

• Ben

Noun

ben (uncountable)

1. (usually capitalised) Son of (used with Hebrew and Arabic surnames).

Translations

son of

• Arabic: بن (ben, bin) m, ابن (ibn, ibni) m
• Hebrew: בן (ben) m

• Ladino: ben
• Persian: بن (fa)

Etymology 5

From Scottish Gaelic beinn

Noun

ben (plural bens)

1. A Scottish or Irish mountain or high peak.

Anagrams

• EbN, NbE, neb, Neb.

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Catalan

Adverb

ben

1. Alternative form of bé.

Usage notes

The form ben is used when it precedes the adjective, adverb or verb form that it modifies, and bé is used in all other cases.

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Danish

Etymology

From Old Norse bein (“bone, leg”), from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /beːn/, [b̥eːˀn]

Noun

ben n (singular definite benet, plural indefinite ben)

1. leg
2. bone

Inflection

    Inflection of ben

neuter gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative, dative and accusative	ben	benet	ben	benene
genitive	bens	benets	bens	benenes

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Dutch

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɛn
• IPA: /bɛn/

Etymology

From Middle Dutch ben, bem, bin, bim, from Old Dutch *bin, *bim (“am”), from Proto-Germanic *beuną (“to be”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew- (“to grow, become, appear”). Cognate with German bin (“am”), Old English bīom, bēom (“am”). More at be.

See also German bin.

Verb

ben

1. first-person singular present indicative of zijn
2. imperative of zijn

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Faroese

Etymology

From Old Norse ben, from Proto-Germanic *banjō.

Noun

ben n (genitive singular bens, plural ben)

1. wound

Declension

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

n22	Singular		Plural
	Indefinite	Definite	Indefinite	Definite
Nominative	ben	benið	ben	benini
Accusative	ben	benið	ben	benini
Dative	beni	beninum	ben(j)um	ben(j)unum
Genitive	bens	bensins	benja	benjanna

Noun

ben f (genitive singular benjar, plural benjar)

1. wound

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

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French

Etymology

bien

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɑ̃/

Interjection

ben

1. well; uh

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Interlingua

Adverb

ben (comparative melio, superlative le melio)

1. well

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Italian

Adverb

ben

1. Short form of bene.

   ben fatto — well done

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Japanese

Romanization

ben

1. See べん

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Kurdish

Noun

ben gender unspecified

1. string, rope

Related terms

• bend
• benî

Derived terms

• benik
• benk

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Lojban

Rafsi

ben

1. rafsi of besna.

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Mandarin

Romanization

ben

1. Nonstandard spelling of bēn.
2. Nonstandard spelling of běn.
3. Nonstandard spelling of bèn.

Usage notes

• English transcriptions of Mandarin speech often fail to distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without the appropriate indication of tone.

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Manx

Etymology

From Old Irish ben, from Proto-Celtic *benā, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bɛᵈn/

Noun

ben f (genitive ?, plural mraane)

1. woman

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.

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Middle English

Verb

bēn

1. to be
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41

     And I seide, “Ser, in his tyme maister Ioon Wiclef was holden of ful many men the grettis clerk that thei knewen lyuynge vpon erthe. And therwith he was named, as I gesse worthili, a passing reuli man and an innocent in al his lyuynge. And herfore grete men of kunnynge and other also drowen myche to him, and comownede ofte with him. And thei sauouriden so his loore that thei wroten it bisili and enforsiden hem to rulen hem theraftir… Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende. Also Filip of Repintoun whilis he was a chanoun of Leycetre, Nycol Herforde, dane Geffrey of Pikeringe, monke of Biland and a maistir dyuynyte, and Ioon Purueye, and manye other whiche weren holden rightwise men and prudent, taughten and wroten bisili this forseide lore of Wiclef, and conformeden hem therto. And with alle these men I was ofte homli and I comownede with hem long tyme and fele, and so bifore alle othir men I chees wilfulli to be enformed bi hem and of hem, and speciali of Wiclef himsilf, as of the moost vertuous and goodlich wise man that I herde of owhere either knew. And herfore of Wicleef speciali and of these men I toke the lore whiche I haue taughte and purpose to lyue aftir, if God wole, to my lyues ende.”

References

• “bēn” listed in the Middle English Dictionary [2001]

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Norwegian Bokmål

Alternative forms

• bein

Etymology

From Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Noun

ben n (definite singular benet; indefinite plural ben; definite plural bena/benene)

1. leg, bone

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Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *bōniz. Cognate with Old Norse bón.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /beːn/

Noun

bēn f

1. prayer, praying
2. request, entreaty

Declension

    Declension of ben (strong i-stem)

	Singular	Plural
nominative	bēn	bēne, bēna
accusative	bēn, bēne	bēne, bēna
genitive	bēne	bēna
dative	bēne	bēnum

Descendants

• Middle English: bene
• English: bee

Etymology 2

From Proto-Germanic *banjō. Cognate with Old Norse ben.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ben/

Noun

ben f

1. Alternative form of benn.

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Old Irish

Etymology

From Proto-Celtic *benā, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷḗn.

Noun

ben f

1. woman

Descendants

• Irish: bean
• Manx: ben
• Scottish Gaelic: bean

Synonyms

• banscál
• bé
• frac

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Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *bainą. Cognate with Old Frisian bēn (West Frisian bien), Old English bān (English bone), Dutch been (“bone, leg”), Old High German bein (German Bein (“leg”)), Old Norse bein (Icelandic bein (“bone”)).

Noun

bēn n

1. bone

Descendants

• Middle Low German: bēn
  • Low German: Been, Bein

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Scots

Etymology 1

Old English binnan.

Noun

ben (plural bens)

1. The inner room of a two-room hut or shack (as opposed to the but).

Adjective

ben (comparative benner, superlative benmaist)

1. Inner, interior.

Preposition

ben

1. Through, in, into (a dwelling).

   I went ben the room.

Etymology 2

From Scottish Gaelic beinn.

Noun

ben (plural bens)

1. A mountain or hill

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Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

Turkish ben.

Noun

ben m (Cyrillic spelling бен)

1. birthmark
2. mole
3. naevus

Synonyms

• mladež

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Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse bein, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Pronunciation

• audio

  (file)

• IPA: /ˈbeːn/

Noun

ben n

1. (anatomy) Leg; a body part.
2. Leg; part of trousers which covers the legs.
3. The part of a piece furniture on which it stands.
4. (anatomy) Bone; any of the components of an endoskeleton.
5. (anatomy) Bone; the material of the endoskeleton

Declension

Declension of ben

	singular		plural
Neuter	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 enbent fingerben fiskben framben fyrbent handlovsben hundben karpalben

kobent korsben köttben lårben lösben mellanhandsben nyckelben revben skenben skinn och ben strålben trebent träben tvåbent underben vadben vristben överarmsben

References

• ben in Svenska Akademiens Ordlista över svenska språket (13th ed., online)

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Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA: [bɛn]

Etymology 1

From Old Turkic meŋ, from Proto-Turkic *beŋ (“mole on the face”).

Noun

ben

1. mole, birthmark

Declension

declension of ben

	singular (tekil)	plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın)	ben	benler
definite accusative (belirtme)	beni	benleri
dative (yönelme)	bene	benlere
locative (bulunma)	bende	benlerde
ablative (çıkma)	benden	benlerden
genitive (tamlayan)	benin	benlerin

See also

• leke
• yama

Etymology 2

From Old Turkic men, from Proto-Turkic.

Pronoun

ben

1. I

See also

Turkish personal pronouns

		singular	plural
1st person		ben	biz
2nd person	familiar	sen	siz
	polite	siz
3rd person		o	onlar

Noun

ben

1. ego

Declension

declension of ben

	singular (tekil)	plural (çoğul)
nominative (yalın)	ben	biz
definite accusative (belirtme)	beni	bizi
dative (yönelme)	bana	bize
locative (bulunma)	bende	bizde
ablative (çıkma)	benden	bizden
genitive (tamlayan)	benim	bizim

• It is one of the two words which have irregular dative and genitive case declension. (the other word is "sen" and also "biz" has irregular genitive case declension)

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Venetian

Adverb

ben

1. well

Derived terms

• benon

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Volapük

Etymology

Ultimately from Latin bene.

Noun

ben (plural bens)

1. grace
2. well-being

Declension

declension of ben

	singular	plural
nominative	ben	bens
genitive	bena	benas
dative	bene	benes
accusative	beni	benis
predicative	benu	benus
vocative	o ben!	o bens!

Synonyms

• benolab