Where does “Ben” come from?
Ben (English) comes from Middle English ben, from Old English binnan, from Old English bī-, from Old English bī, from Proto-West Germanic bī, from Proto-Germanic bi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂m̥bʰi, from Proto-Indo-European h₂n̥tbʰi — on, onto.
Ben (English): A US$100 bill, which bears a portrait of Benjamin...
Definitions
- A US$100 bill, which bears a portrait of Benjamin...
Ancestry of “Ben”, step by step
Ben traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English ben
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ben | Alternative form of been |
| 2 | Old English | binnan | within |
| 3 | Old English | bī- | by, near, around; by- |
| 4 | Old English | bī | lullaby!; near, by; by, near, around |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | bī | by, at; near, around |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bi | by, at; near, around |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂m̥bʰi | around, on either side of, about; in exchange... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂n̥tbʰi | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂énts | forehead; front |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂ent- | face; forehead; front |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂en- | on, onto |
via Scots [[ben]], [[benn]]
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scots | [[ben]], [[benn]] | — |
| 2 | Scottish Gaelic | beinn | mountain, hill; pinnacle; bin |
| 3 | Old Irish | benn | peak; pinnacle; mountain |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | bandā | top, peak; horn |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bn̥dʰéh₂ | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bendʰ- | pin, point |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰendʰ- | to bind; bond |
via Italian bene
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Italian | bene | upper-class, posh, high; well, nicely, OK, right;... |
| 2 | Latin | bene | well; properly, exactly; agreeably, favorably |
| 3 | Latin | bonus | good, honest, brave, noble, kind, pleasant;... |
| 4 | Old Latin | duenos | Alternative form of duonus |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | dwenos | good |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dew- | to show favour, revere; to fail, to lag, to be... |