English word origin

Etymology of been

4 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 4 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

past participle of be. · remote past form of be.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Germanic *ga- Proto-West Germanic *ga- Old English ġe- Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *bʰuHyétider.? Proto-Germanic *beuną Proto-West Germanic *beun Old English bēon Old English ġebēon Middle English been English been From Middle English been (past participle), from Old English (ġe)bēon. By surface analysis, be + -en.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionbeenenm
Inherited-form mentionbēonang

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:been<id:past participle>",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ḱe?\nProto-Indo-European *ḱóm\nProto-Germanic *ga-\nProto-West Germanic *ga-\nOld English ġe-\nProto-Indo-European *bʰuH-\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *bʰuHyétider.?\nProto-Germanic *beuną\nProto-West Germanic *beun\nOld English bēon\nOld English ġebēon\nMiddle English been\nEnglish been\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ga-\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*ga-\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ġe-\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"is_uncertain\" : true, \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"be\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰuH-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"id\" : \"intransitive verbs\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yéti\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰuHyéti\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*beuną\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*beun\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bēon\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"ġebēon\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"been\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"been\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"been\">"
    },
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "been",
        "pos": "past participle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English been (past participle)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bēon",
        "4": "(ġe)bēon"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English (ġe)bēon"
    },
    {
      "name": "surf",
      "args": {
        "1": "+suf",
        "2": "en",
        "3": "be",
        "4": "en<id:past participle>"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, be + -en"
    },
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        "3": "enm:been<id:past participle>",
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      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *ḱe?\nProto-Indo-European *ḱóm\nProto-Germanic *ga-\nProto-West Germanic *ga-\nOld English ġe-\nProto-Indo-European *bʰuH-\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *bʰuHyétider.?\nProto-Germanic *beuną\nProto-West Germanic *beun\nOld English bēon\nOld English ġebēon\nMiddle English been\nEnglish been"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*ḱe",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱe#Proto-Indo-European:_here"
    ],
    [
      "*ḱóm",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/ḱóm#Proto-Indo-European:_beside"
    ],
    [
      "*ga-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/ga-#Proto-Germanic:_together"
    ],
    [
      "*ga-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ga-#Proto-West_Germanic:_intensifier"
    ],
    [
      "ġe-",
      "ge-#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰuH-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰuH-#Proto-Indo-European:_be"
    ],
    [
      "*-yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_intransitive_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰuHyéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰuHyéti"
    ],
    [
      "*beuną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/beuną"
    ],
    [
      "*beun",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/beun"
    ],
    [
      "bēon",
      "beon#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ġebēon",
      "gebeon#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "been",
      "been#Middle_English:_past_participle"
    ],
    [
      "been",
      "been#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "(ġe)bēon",
      "beon#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "be",
      "be#English"
    ],
    [
      "-en",
      "-en#English:_past_participle"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Tok Pisin",
      "lang_code": "tpi",
      "word": "bin"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "past participle of be.",
        "remote past form of be."
      ],
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        "form-of",
        "participle",
        "past"
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

Synonym of be (infinitival sense).

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Either from Middle English been (“to be”, infinitive) (from Old English bēon, equivalent to be + -en (infinitive ending)), or from a dialectal use of the preceding past tense form as an infinitive form (compare dialectal use of (I)'s, (I) is in the first person, (he) am in the third person, etc).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionbeenenm
Inherited-form mentionbēonang

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "been",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to be",
        "pos": "infinitive"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English been (“to be”, infinitive)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bēon"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bēon"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "en<id:infinitive><pos:infinitive ending>"
      },
      "expansion": "be + -en (infinitive ending)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "been",
      "been#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "bēon",
      "beon#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "be",
      "be#English"
    ],
    [
      "-en",
      "-en#English:_infinitive"
    ],
    [
      "(I)'s",
      "I's#English"
    ],
    [
      "(I) is",
      "is#English"
    ],
    [
      "(he) am",
      "am#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of be (infinitival sense)."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "rare"
      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

verb

plural simple present of be.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English been (plural indicative form); equivalent to be + -en (plural present ending).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionbeenenm

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "been",
        "pos": "plural indicative form"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English been (plural indicative form)"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "be",
        "3": "en",
        "id2": "plural present",
        "pos2": "plural present ending"
      },
      "expansion": "be + -en (plural present ending)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "been",
      "been#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "be",
      "be#English"
    ],
    [
      "-en",
      "-en#English:_plural_present"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "plural simple present of be."
      ],
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        "obsolete",
        "plural",
        "present"
      ],
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

plural of bee

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English been, bene, ben, beon, from Old English bēon (“bees”), equivalent to bee + -en (plural ending).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionbeenenm
Inherited-form mentionbēonang · bees

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "been"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English been"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bēon",
        "t": "bees"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bēon (“bees”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "suf",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "bee",
        "3": "-en",
        "pos2": "plural ending",
        "id2": "plural noun"
      },
      "expansion": "bee + -en (plural ending)"
    }
  ],
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    ],
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    ],
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      "beon",
      "beon#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "beon#Old_English"
    ],
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      "bee",
      "bee#English"
    ],
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    ]
  ],
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        "plural of bee"
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for been →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-YmVlbg