*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of ben

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *bōjana Proto-Indo-European *-nis Proto-Germanic *-niz Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nis Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-ni-s Proto-Germanic *bōniz Proto-West Germanic *bōni O

7 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 7 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 ↗
noun

A prayer; a petition.

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

Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *bōjana Proto-Indo-European *-nis Proto-Germanic *-niz Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- Proto-Indo-European *-nis Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-ni-s Proto-Germanic *bōniz Proto-West Germanic *bōni Old English bēn Middle English ben, beneder. English ben From Middle English ben, bene, from Old English bēn (“prayer, request, favor, compulsory service”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōni, from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”). Related to ban. More at boon.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰeh₂-",
        "id": "speak"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":der",
        "3": "enm:bene<id:request><alt:ben, bene>",
        "tree": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *bōjana\nProto-Indo-European *-nis\nProto-Germanic *-niz\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-nis\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-ni-s\nProto-Germanic *bōniz\nProto-West Germanic *bōni\nOld English bēn\nMiddle English ben, beneder.\nEnglish ben\n[Appendix:Glossary#derived_terms|Derived]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"ben, bene\", \"id\" : \"request\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bōjana\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-nis\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-niz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" }, { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"speak\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰeh₂-\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" }, { \"children\" : [ ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-nis\", \"status\" : \"missing\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*bʰeh₂-ni-s\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bōniz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bōni\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bēn\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"bene\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"ben\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"ben\">"
    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ben"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English ben"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bēn",
        "4": "",
        "5": "prayer, request, favor, compulsory service"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English bēn (“prayer, request, favor, compulsory service”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*bōni"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *bōni"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*bōniz",
        "4": "",
        "5": "supplication"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰeh₂-",
        "4": "",
        "5": "to say"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "ety",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":der",
        "3": "enm:bene<id:request><alt:ben, bene>",
        "tree": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Germanic *bōjana\nProto-Indo-European *-nis\nProto-Germanic *-niz\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-\nProto-Indo-European *-nis\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂-ni-s\nProto-Germanic *bōniz\nProto-West Germanic *bōni\nOld English bēn\nMiddle English ben, beneder.\nEnglish ben"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "*bōjana",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bōjana"
    ],
    [
      "*-nis",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-nis"
    ],
    [
      "*-niz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/-niz"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰeh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₂-#Proto-Indo-European:_speak"
    ],
    [
      "*-nis",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-nis"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰeh₂-ni-s",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₂-ni-s"
    ],
    [
      "*bōniz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bōniz"
    ],
    [
      "*bōni",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bōni"
    ],
    [
      "bēn",
      "ben#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "ben, bene",
      "bene#Middle_English:_request"
    ],
    [
      "ben",
      "ben#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "bene",
      "bene#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "bēn",
      "ben#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*bōni",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bōni"
    ],
    [
      "*bōniz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bōniz"
    ],
    [
      "*bʰeh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "ban",
      "ban#English"
    ],
    [
      "boon",
      "boon#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A prayer; a petition."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "obsolete"
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

The inner room of a two-room cottage (as opposed to the but); the ben room.

prep

In, into.

adj

Inner, interior.

adv

Inside.

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

From Middle English ben, bene, variation of bin, binne (“within”), from Old English binnan (“within, in, inside of, into”), equivalent to be- + in.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Derivation mentionbenenm
  • Derivation mentionbinnanang
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "ben"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English ben"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "binnan",
        "4": "",
        "5": "within, in, inside of, into"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "prefix",
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      },
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    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "ben#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "bene",
      "bene#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "bin",
      "bin#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "binne",
      "binne#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "binnan",
      "binnan#Old_English"
    ],
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      "be-",
      "be-#English"
    ],
    [
      "in",
      "in#English"
    ]
  ],
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The inner room of a two-room cottage (as opposed to the but); the ben room."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland"
      ],
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      "pos": "prep",
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        "In, into."
      ],
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      ],
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      "pos": "adj",
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        "Inner, interior."
      ],
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    },
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      "pos": "adv",
      "glosses": [
        "Inside."
      ],
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        "Northern-England",
        "Scotland",
        "not-comparable"
      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

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.

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

From Middle English been, from Old French and Medieval Latin, probably from a North African pronunciation of Arabic بَان (bān, “ben tree”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ar",
        "3": "ب و ن"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "been"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English been"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Old French"
    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la-med",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Medieval Latin"
    },
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        "2": "ar",
        "3": "بَان",
        "4": "",
        "5": "ben tree"
      },
      "expansion": "Arabic بَان (bān, “ben tree”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "been",
      "been#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "بَان",
      "بان#Arabic"
    ]
  ],
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      "pos": "noun",
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        "The oil of the ben seed."
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
noun

Son of (used with Hebrew and Arabic surnames).

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

From Arabic بِن (bin) and Hebrew בן (ben, “son”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Derivation mentionبِنar
  • Derivation mentionבןhe
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "1": "en",
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        "3": "بِن"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "he",
        "3": "בן",
        "4": "",
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      },
      "expansion": "Hebrew בן (ben, “son”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
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      "بِن",
      "بن#Arabic"
    ],
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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
noun

A Scottish or Irish mountain or high peak.

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

Borrowed from Scots ben, benn, from Scottish Gaelic beinn.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "1": "en",
        "2": "sco",
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    },
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "gd",
        "3": "beinn"
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  ],
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    ],
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      "benn",
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    ],
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    ]
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Source etymology 6

Original entry ↗
adj

Alternative spelling of bene; good.

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

c. 16th century. Probably from Latin bene or Italian bene.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Derivation mentionbenela
  • Derivation mentionbeneit
Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "1": "16th century"
      },
      "expansion": "c. 16th century"
    },
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      "name": "der",
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    },
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      "name": "der",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "it",
        "3": "bene"
      },
      "expansion": "Italian bene"
    }
  ],
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      "bene",
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Source etymology 7

Original entry ↗
noun

A benefit (performance to raise funds).

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

Shortening.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "pos": "noun",
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      ],
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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 ben →

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.

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Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-YmVu