bè

See also: Appendix:Variations of "be"

Antillean Creole

Etymology

From French beurre.

Noun

bè

1. butter

Corsican

Alternative forms

• (adverb): ben
• (noun): bene

Etymology

From Latin bene, from Old Latin *duened, from Old Latin duenos. Cognates include Italian bene and French bien.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ/

Adverb

bè

1. well

Noun

bè m (uncountable)

1. good

References

• https://infcor.adecec.net/

Guerrero Amuzgo

Numeral

bè

1. two

Haitian Creole

Etymology

From French beurre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛ/

Noun

bè

1. butter

Italian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ/
• Rhymes: -ɛ
• Hyphenation: bè

Interjection

bè

1. Alternative form of beh

Sassarese

Alternative forms

• be' (alternative spelling)

Etymology

Apocopic form of beni.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɛ/

Adverb

bè

1. properly, correctly, rightly
   • 2009 October 6, Ignazio Sanna, “Li facultai d’abà (ossia: cumenti fa dinà in dì d’oggi) [The faculties of today (or: How to make money nowadays)]”, in Ignazio Sanna - Prosa e poesia in sassarese‎^[1]:

     Cumpresu: collaboratore della giustizia! Boh boh! Seizentumirioni pa’ fa la cascetta no mi parini dinà guadagnaddi be’.

     Got it: justice cooperator! I don't know... Six hundred millions to be a blabbermouth don't look like properly earned money to me.

2. well (to a significant extent)
   • 1866 [1770s], Antonio Martini, chapter XV, in Giovanni Spano, transl., L'ebagneliu sigundu S. Matteju [The Gospel according to St. Matthew]‎^[2], London, translation of Il santo Vangelo di Gesù Cristo secondo Matteo (in Italian), verse 7, page 58:

     Ipocriti, bè profitesi di voi Isaja, […]

     Hypocrites, Isaiah prophesized well about you

   • c. 19^th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[3], volume 2 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 73, page 177:

     Cantu fazi la lettura
     E l'assè bè imparaddu!

     [Cantu fazi la lettura
     E l'assé bè imparaddu!]

     Reading and being well educated does so much!

     (literally, “How much does reading and being well learned!”)

   • 1956, Salvator Ruju, “Ma nò la vogliu mari [But I don't wish her ill]”, in Agnireddu e Rusina; republished as Caterina Ruju, editor, Sassari véccia e nóba, Nuoro: Ilisso edizioni, 2001, →ISBN, page 77:

     Vèrdhi e rànziga che féri,
     à lu córi creba creba;
     si cridia parch'era ricca
     di pudemmi bè imbischà

     Green and bitter as bile, her heart is dying of anger; she thought, because she was rich, that she could well capture me

   • 2015 May 31, Ignazio Sanna, “La paristhòria di lu santu óssu di lu barracòccu [The fable of the sacred apricot stone]”, in Ignazio Sanna - Prosa e poesia in sassarese‎^[4]:

     No vi vurìani assài carabàtturi; basthàbani l’óssi di barracòccu bè labaddi

     It didn't take that many trifles; the well-washed apricot stones were enough

     (literally, “It didn't want many trifles; sufficed the stones of apricot well washed”)

3. well (satisfactorily)
   • 1866 [1770s], Antonio Martini, chapter XXXVII, in Giovanni Spano, transl., L'iltoria di Giuseppi l'ebreu [The story of Joseph the Jewish]‎^[5], London, translation of Il Libro della Genesi (in Italian), verse 14, page 4:

     Soggu prontu, li dizisi: Vai, e vedi, si tuttu anda bè in cantu a li to’ fraddeddi, e a lu biltiami

     [Soggu prontu, li dizisi: Vai, e vedi, si tuttu anda bè in cantu a li to’ fraddeddi, e a lu bisthiami]

     [original: Son pronto, gli diſſe: Va, e vedi, ſe tutto va bene riguardo a’ tuoi fratelli, e a’ beſtiami]

     [Son pronto, gli disse: Va, e vedi, se tutto va bene riguardo a’ tuoi fratelli, e a’ bestiami]

     "I'm ready", he told him. "Go, and see if everything is well in regard to your brothers, and to the livestock

   • c. 19^th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[6], volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 4, page 87:

     Vibu sola a li mali
     Da dugn’ ombra di be’ dissimparadda

     [Vibu sora a li mari
     Da dugn’ombra di be’ disimparadda]

     I live alone with the pains, not knowing the slightest affection

     (literally, “I live alone at the pains, from every shadow of affection illiterate”)

   • 1956, Salvator Ruju, “Nò è succu nò l'amòri”, in Agnireddu e Rusina; republished as Caterina Ruju, editor, Sassari véccia e nóba, Nuoro: Ilisso edizioni, 2001, →ISBN, page 61:

     Assai bè me la vibia
     sóru sóru i la mé vigna.

     I was doing quite well, all alone in my vineyard.

   • 1989, Giovanni Maria Cherchi, “L'ulthima [The Last One]”, in La poesia di l'althri (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Sassari: Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, page 43:

     In tutti li maneri
     mi soggu cumpurthaddu,
     si maramenti o bè no soggu dillu

     I've behaved in every way; if badly or well, I can't say

   • 2009 May 9, Ignazio Sanna, “Noi dui, a séra [The two of us, in the evening]”, in Ignazio Sanna - Prosa e poesia in sassarese‎^[7]:

     z’abèmmu piènu
     la casa di figlióri.
     Tutti be’: sani…

     We filled the house with children. All of them [are] well, healthy…

Noun

bè m (invariable)

1. Apocopic form of beni:
   1. (uncountable) good (the forces of good)

      Synonym: bonu

      • 1863 [1770s], Antonio Martini, chapter XLIV, in Giovanni Spano, transl., L'iltoria di Giuseppi l'ebreu [The story of Joseph the Jewish]‎^[8], London, translation of Il Libro della Genesi (in Italian), verse 4, page 45:

        Pesa, dizisi, e poni fattu all’ omini: e acciappaddili, dilli: Palchì abeddi turradu mali pal bè?

        [Pesa, dizisi, e poni fattu a l’òmini: e acciappàddiri, dilli: Parchì abeddi turradu mari pa' bè?]

        [original: Su via, diſſe, va dietro a coloro, e raggiuntili dirai: Per qual motivo avete renduto male per bene?]

        [Su via, disse, va dietro a coloro, e raggiuntili dirai: Per qual motivo avete renduto male per bene?]

        "Rise," he said, "go after those men; and, [once you've] reached them, tell them: 'Why have you returned evil for good?"

   2. sweetheart, darling, love
      • c. 19^th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[9], volume 2 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 63, page 156:

        Rosa meja, lu me' bè,
        Ciamami candu sei sola.

        [Rosa méia, lu me' bè,
        Ciàmami candu sei sora.]

        My rose, my darling, call me when you're alone.

   3. affection (feeling of love or strong attachment)
      • c. 19^th century, anonymous author, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[10], volume 1 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 4, page 68:

        Vibu sola a li mali
        Da dugn’ ombra di be’ dissimparadda

        [Vibu sora a li mari
        Da dugn’ombra di be’ disimparadda]

        I live alone with the pains, not knowing the slightest affection

        (literally, “I live alone at the pains, from every shadow of affection illiterate”)

      • 2009 December 23, Ignazio Sanna, “Cu la mènti a bazinédda [With a dizzy mind]”, in Ignazio Sanna - Prosa e poesia in sassarese‎^[11]:

        […] la mea mènti a bazinédda
        chi s’affanna […]
        pa’ fimmà un’intinziòni di puisia
        e ischribì ancora lu be’ chi ti ni vógliu.

        my dizzy mind, which gets worked up […] in order to hold an intention of poetry, and again write the affection I feel for you.

   4. (usually in the plural) good, property, possession, belonging, asset
      • 1866 [1770s], Antonio Martini, chapter XXV, in Giovanni Spano, transl., L'ebagneliu sigundu S. Matteju [The Gospel according to St. Matthew]‎^[12], London, translation of Il santo Vangelo di Gesù Cristo secondo Matteo (in Italian), verse 14, page 102:

        Palchì cumenti un omu paltendi par andà a paisu luntanu, ciamesi li so' silvidori, e li cunsignesi li so' bè. […]

        [Parchì cumenti un omu parthendi par andà a paisu luntanu, ciamesi li so' sivvidori, e li cunsignesi li so' bè. […] ]

        For, as a man leaving towards a faraway land, called his own servants, and delivered to them his possessions […]

      • c. 19^th century, Sebastiano di Branca, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[13], volume 2 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 75, page 182:

        S’in lu loggu chi sei
        Ancora nizissiti di sufraggiu
        La vidda, li me’ bè
        In breb’ e preltu ti cunsacraraggiu

        [S’in lu loggu chi sei
        Ancora nizìssiti di suffràgiu
        La vidda, li me’ bè
        In brev’ e presthu ti cunsacraràggiu]

        If, where you are, you still need intercession, in short time I will consecrate to you my life, my possessions

        (literally, “If in the place that you are still you need intercession, life, my possessions in brief and soon to you I will consecrate”)

   5. (figurative) beloved (someone or something that is loved)
      • c. 19^th century, G. Cossu Solinas, “[untitled song]”, in Giovanni Spano, editor, Canti popolari in dialetto sassarese‎^[14], volume 2 (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), Cagliari, published 1873, song 48, page 136:

        Cun la vidda m’affanni
        Cun la molti mi furi dugna bè

        [Cun la vidda m’affanni
        Cun la morthi mi furi dugna bè]

        You trouble me through life; you rob me of all I love through death

        (literally, “With life you trouble me; with death you rob me of all beloveds”)

Derived terms

• bè bè
• fà bè
• vuré bè

 

Interjection

bè

1. Used to acknowledge a statement or situation; well, so
   • 1866, chapter IV, in Giovanni Spano, transl., La profezia di Giona [Jonah's prophecy]‎^[15] (overall work in Italian and Sassarese), London, translation of Profezia di Giona, verse 9, page 15:

     E lu Signori dizisi a Giona: Credi forsi, chi tu fozzi bè ad arrabbiatti pa la moltra? E dizisi: Bè eju m' arrabbieggiu fin' a la molti.

     [E lu Signori dizisi a Giona: Credi forsi, chi tu fozzi bè ad arrabbiatti pa la mosthra? E dizisi: Bè éiu m'arrabbiéggiu fin' a la morthi.]

     And the Lord said to Jonah: "Do you think you're doing good by getting angry becauseof the castor oil plant? And he said: "Well, I will get angry to death."

   • 2015 May 31, Ignazio Sanna, “La paristhòria di lu santu óssu di lu barracòccu [The fable of the sacred apricot stone]”, in Ignazio Sanna - Prosa e poesia in sassarese‎^[16]:

     «Bè, ni vurìmmu sabé di più? Andèmmu a fabiddanni cu me’ ziu chi ni sa assai mégliu di noi. No pai nudda è prèddi!»

     "Well, if we want to know more, we can go talk about it with my uncle, who knows a lot more than us. He's a priest, after all!"

     (literally, “"Well, do we want to know more of it? Let's go talk of it with my uncle who knows of it a lot better than us. Not for nothing [he] is [a] priest!"”)

Further reading

• Ugo Solinas (2016) “bè”, in Vocabolario sassarese-italiano fraseologico ed etimologico, volume 1, Sestu: Domus de Janas, →ISBN, page 237
• Giosue Muzzo (1981) “bè”, in Vocabolario del dialetto sassarese, Chiarella Editore, →ISBN; republished, Sassari: Carlo Delfino editore, 2018, page 47
• Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) “bene/1”, in Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes
• Rubattu, Antoninu (2006) “bene/2”, in Dizionario universale della lingua di Sardegna, 2nd edition, Sassari: Edes

Vietnamese

Etymology

Having cognates throughout Mon-Khmer (all borrowed ?), akin to Laven /bɛː/ ("raft"), Khasi bùr (“raft”), Mlabri /bɛː/ ("raft"), Nyah Kur [phɛ̀ɛ] ("raft") and Lamet /pheː/ ("raft"). See also Proto-Tai *beːᴬ (> Thai แพ (pɛɛ, “raft”)) and Old Chinese 簰 (OC *brê, “bamboo raft”). The sense of "cohorts" probably developed from the way bamboo stalks are tied together to make a raft.

Pronunciation

• (Hà Nội) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɛ˨˩]
• (Huế) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɛ˦˩]
• (Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA^(key): [ʔɓɛ˨˩]

Noun

(classifier cái, chiếc, con) bè • (𣙨, 𤿤, 𥯤, 𬜛)

1. (nautical) a raft (flat, floating structure)
2. (only in compounds or fixed expressions, usually disapproving) a group of cohorts

   bè lũ tham ô

   greedy cronies; interest groups

See also

Derived terms

• bạn bè
• bè bạn
• bè lũ
• bè phái
• chia bè kết phái
• hát bè