English word origin

Etymology of bene

From Middle English bene, from Old English bēn (“prayer, request, petition, favour, compulsory service”), from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”). Cognate with Danish bøn (“prayer”), Swedish bön (“prayer”), Icelandic

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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, especially to God; a petition; a boon.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Root classification mention*bʰeh₂-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionbeneenm
Inherited-form mentionbēnang
Inherited-form mention*bōnizgem-pro
Cognate mentionbønda
Cognate mentionbönsv
Cognate mentionbænis
Cognate mentionbónis

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*bʰeh₂-",
        "id": "speak"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "bene"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English bene"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "bēn",
        "4": "",
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      },
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    },
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        "4": "",
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      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”)"
    },
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      "name": "cog",
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        "2": "bøn",
        "3": "",
        "4": "prayer"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish bøn (“prayer”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "sv",
        "2": "bön",
        "3": "",
        "4": "prayer"
      },
      "expansion": "Swedish bön (“prayer”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "bæn",
        "3": "",
        "4": "prayer"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic bæn (“prayer”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "is",
        "2": "bón",
        "3": "",
        "4": "request"
      },
      "expansion": "Icelandic bón (“request”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "bene",
      "bene#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "bēn",
      "ben#Old_English"
    ],
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      "*bōniz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bōniz"
    ],
    [
      "bøn",
      "bøn#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "bön",
      "bön#Swedish"
    ],
    [
      "bæn",
      "bæn#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "bón",
      "bón#Icelandic"
    ],
    [
      "ban",
      "ban#English"
    ],
    [
      "boon",
      "boon#English"
    ],
    [
      "bee",
      "bee#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

Tongue.

adj

Good.

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

UK C16. 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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        "3": "bene"
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      ],
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        "Good."
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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗

noun

Abbreviation of eggs Benedict, an egg dish

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

Clipping of eggs benedict

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "eggs benedict#English"
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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 bene →

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-YmVuZQ