bene

See also: Appendix:Variations of "bene"

English

Etymology 1

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 bæn (“prayer”), Icelandic bón (“request”). Related to ban. See also boon, bee.

Alternative forms

• been (dialectal)
• ben (obsolete)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /biːn/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -iːn
• Homophones: bean, been

Noun

bene (plural benes)

1. (now chiefly dialectal) A prayer, especially to God; a petition; a boon.
   • 1815, William Wordsworth, The Force of Prayer:

     What is good for a bootless bene?

Related terms

• beenship

Etymology 2

Noun

bene (uncountable)

1. Alternative form of benne (“sesame”).

Etymology 3

UK C16. Probably from Latin bene or Italian bene.

Alternative forms

• ben, bien

Adjective

bene (comparative benar, superlative benat)

1. (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Good. [16th–19th c.]
   • 1828, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Pelham: or The Adventures of a Gentleman‎^[1], page 383:

     Egad, you carry a bene blink aloft. Come to the ken alone—no! my blowen; did not I tell you I should bring a pater cove, to chop up the whiners for Dawson?

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:good

Derived terms

• bene bowse
• bene cove
• bene darkmans
• bene feaker
• bene feaker of gybes
• bene lightmans
• bene mort
• beneship
• beneshiply
• cut bene

Noun

bene (plural benes)

1. (obsolete, UK, thieves' cant) Tongue. [16th–18th c.]

   Stowe your bene!

References

• [Francis Grose] (1788), “Bene”, in A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, 2nd edition, London: […] S. Hooper, […], →OCLC.
• Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors (1889–1890), “bene”, in A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant […], volume I (A–K), Edinburgh: […] The Ballantyne Press, →OCLC, page 107.
• John S[tephen] Farmer, compiler (1890), “bene”, in Slang and Its Analogues Past and Present. […], volume I, [London: […] Thomas Poulter and Sons] […], →OCLC, pages 178–179.
• Eric Partridge, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang. Routledge, 1973. →ISBN.

Etymology 4

Clipping of eggs benedict

Alternative forms

• Bene, benny, Benny

Noun

bene (plural benes)

1. (food) Abbreviation of eggs Benedict, an egg dish

Etymology 5

Verb

bene

1. Misspelling of been.

   That would of^[sic] bene a good idea...

Anagrams

• Eben, NEbE, been, eben, neeb

Afrikaans

Noun

bene

1. plural of been

Corsican

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛne/

Noun

bene m

1. alternative form of bè

References

• https://infcor.adecec.net/

Dutch

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːnə

Verb

bene

1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of benen

Anagrams

• been

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian bene.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /be.ne/

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Adverb

bene

1. (colloquial) well

Gullah

Alternative forms

• 'bene

Etymology

• From Wolof bene.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ben.ne/

Noun

bene

1. sesame

References

• Lorenzo Dow Turner, Africanisms in the Gullah Dialect (1969)

Italian

Alternative forms

• biene (archaic)
• ben (apocopic)

Etymology

Inherited from Latin bene.

Pronunciation

• (Standard, central Italy) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ.ne/
  • Rhymes: -ɛne
  • Hyphenation: bè‧ne
• (northern Italy) IPA^(key): /ˈbe.ne/

  • Audio:

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ene
  • Hyphenation: bé‧ne

Adjective

bene (invariable)

1. upper-class, posh, high

   Parioli è il quartiere bene di Roma per eccellenza.

   Parioli is the posh Rome neighborhood par excellence.

Adverb

bene (comparative meglio, superlative benissimo)

1. well, nicely, OK, right

   Antonym: male

   Non è necessario spendere una fortuna per mangiare bene.

   You don’t need to spend a fortune to eat well.

2. properly, correctly, rightly

   Synonym: correttamente

   Antonyms: erratamente, erroneamente

   La mia lavatrice non funziona bene, qualcuno mi può aiutare?

   My washing machine isn't working properly, can anybody help me?

3. thoroughly, carefully

   Synonyms: attentamente, minuziosamente

   Leggere bene le istruzioni prima dell'uso.

   Read the instructions carefully before use.

4. as much as, as many as

   Synonym: valore di

   Gli agricoltori della Luisiana hanno subito una perdita di ben 450 milioni di dollari a causa dell'uragano Gustav.

   Louisiana farmers face lost income of as much as $450 million because of Hurricane Gustav.

Derived terms

Terms derived from bene (adverb)

• alla bene e meglio
• beh
• ben cotto
• ben detto
• ben venga
• ben volentieri
• benaccetto, ben accetto
• benalzato, ben alzato
• benarrivato, ben arrivato
• benché
• bendisposto, ben disposto
• bene o male
• beneamato, bene amato
• benedire
• beneducato, bene educato
• benefattore
• benefico
• benemerente
• benemerito
• beneplacito
• benessere
• benestante
• benestare
• benevolo
• benfatto, ben fatto
• benigno
• beninformato, ben informato
• benino
• benintenzionato, ben intenzionato
• beninteso, ben inteso
• benmeritare
• bennato, ben nato
• benone
• benpensante, ben pensante
• benservito
• bensì
• bentornato, ben tornato
• bentosto, ben tosto
• bentrovato, ben trovato
• benveduto, ben veduto
• benvenuto, ben venuto
• benvisto, ben visto
• benvolere
• di bene in meglio
• nota bene
• perbene, per bene
• stare bene
• va bene
• volere bene

Related terms

• buono

Interjection

bene

1. good!; fine!

   Bene! Sono proprio felice che hai avuto delle buone notizie!

   Good! I'm so glad you got some good news!

Noun

bene m (plural beni)

1. good

   Antonym: male

   L'eterna lotta tra il bene e il male.

   The eternal struggle between good and evil.

2. (usually in the plural) goods, property, possessions, belongings, assets

   Synonyms: proprietà, possedimenti

   Dopo il suo secondo infarto, Mario vendette tutti i suoi beni ed andò in Nepal.

   Following his second heart attack, Mario had sold all his property and left for Nepal.

3. sake, good

   Antonym: male

   Lo faccio per il tuo bene!

   I'm doing this for your sake!

4. happiness

   Synonym: felicità

   Antonym: tristezza

   Auguro ogni bene a te e alla tua famiglia.

   Wish you and your family every happiness.

5. sweetheart, darling, love, bless someone's cotton socks

   Synonyms: amore, tesoro, amato

   Sei il mio bene! ― You are my sweetheart!

6. asset

Derived terms

• bene immobile
• bene mobile
• bene privato
• bene pubblico
• bene di stato

Further reading

• bene on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^it

Latin

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *dewh₂-der.?

Proto-Italic *dwenos

Old Latin duenos

Old Latin *duenēd

Latin bene

From Old Latin *duenēd, from duenos (“good”), which gave bonus, from Proto-Italic *dwenos.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛ.nɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈbɛː.ne]

Adverb

bene (comparative melius, superlative optimē)

1. well

   Antonym: male

   Tibi bene ex animo volo.

   I wish you well with all my heart.

2. properly, exactly
3. agreeably, favorably

Derived terms

• benedīcō
• benefaciō
• beneficus
• benēplaceō
• benēplacitūs
• benest (“it's okay”)
• nota bene
• quamdiu se bene gesserint

Related terms

• bonus

Descendants

• Balkano-Romance:
  • Aromanian: ghini, ghine
  • Istro-Romanian: bire
  • Megleno-Romanian: bini
  • Romanian: bine
• Italo-Dalmatian:
  • Corsican: bè, ben, bene
    • Gallurese: beni, bè
    • Sassarese: beni, bè
  • Dalmatian: bin
  • Istriot: ben
  • Italian: bene
  • Sicilian: beni
  • Venetan: ben
• Rhaeto-Romance:
  • Friulian: ben
  • Ladin: ben
  • Romansh: bain, bein
• Gallo-Italic:
  • Emilian: bän
  • Ligurian: bén
  • Piedmontese: ben
  • Romagnol: bẽ
• Northern Gallo-Romance:
  • Franco-Provençal: bien, ben-
  • Old French: bien
    • Middle French: bien
      • French: bien
    • Norman: bein (Jersey), byin (France)
    • Walloon: bén
• Southern Gallo-Romance:
  • Catalan: bé, ben
  • Occitan: ben
• Ibero-Romance:
  • Aragonese: bien
  • Asturian: bien
  • Old Galician-Portuguese: ben
    • Galician: ben
    • Portuguese: bem
  • Old Spanish: ben, bien
    • Spanish: bien
• Insular Romance:
  • Sardinian: bene (Logudorese), beni (Campidanese)

Further reading

• “bene”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “bene”, in Charlton T. Lewis (1891), An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• "bene", in Charles du Fresne du Cange, Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
• “bene”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.
• Carl Meißner; Henry William Auden (1894), Latin Phrase-Book‎^[2], London: Macmillan and Co.
  • so-and-so is in a very satisfactory position; prospers: agitur praeclare, bene cum aliquo
    
  • the matter progresses favourably, succeeds: aliquid (bene, prospere) succedit or procedit (opp. parum procedere, non succedere)
    
  • for a life of perfect happiness: ad bene beateque vivendum
    
  • to deserve well at some one's hands; to do a service to..: bene, praeclare (melius, optime) mereri de aliquo
    
  • I wish you all success in the matter: bene id tibi vertat!
    
  • you were right in...; you did right to..: recte, bene fecisti quod...
    
  • to have a good or bad reputation, be spoken well, ill of: bene, male audire (ab aliquo)
    
  • a good Latin scholar: bene latine doctus or sciens
    
  • to receive a liberal education: liberaliter, ingenue, bene educari
    
  • he is a young man of great promise: adulescens alios bene de se sperare iubet, bonam spem ostendit or alii de adulescente bene sperare possunt
    
  • to inculcate good (bad) principles: bene (male) praecipere alicui
    
  • to cross-examine cleverly, put leading questions: bene interrogare
    
  • that Greek proverb contains an excellent lesson: bene illo Graecorum proverbio praecipitur
    
  • to hope well of a person: bene, optime (meliora) sperare de aliquo (Nep. Milt. 1. 1)
    
  • a good conscience: conscientia recta, recte facti (factorum), virtutis, bene actae vitae, rectae voluntatis
    
  • a good conscience: mens bene sibi conscia
    
  • a moral (immoral) man: homo bene (male) moratus
    
  • a sound and sensible system of conduct: vitae ratio bene ac sapienter instituta
    
  • with the help of the gods: dis bene iuvantibus (Fam. 7. 20. 2)
    
  • and may God grant success: quod deus bene vertat!
    
  • to bless (curse) a person: precari alicui bene (male) or omnia bona (mala), salutem
    
  • to manage one's affairs, household, property well or ill: rem bene (male) gerere (vid. sect. XVI. 10a)
    
  • your health: bene tibi or te!
    
  • to entertain, regale a person: accipere aliquem (bene, copiose, laute, eleganter, regio apparatu, apparatis epulis)
    
  • a safe journey to you: bene ambula et redambula
    
  • good men of business: negotii bene gerentes (Quint. 19. 62)
    
  • to buy cheaply: parvo, vili pretio or bene emere
    
  • to have the good of the state at heart: bene, optime sentire de re publica
    
  • a success; a glorious feat of arms: res bene gesta
    
  • to win, lose a fight (of the commander): rem (bene, male) gerere (vid. sect. XII. 2, note rem gerere...)
    
  • I am sorry to hear..: male (opp. bene) narras (de)
    
• “bene”, in The Perseus Project (1999), Perseus Encyclopedia‎^[3]
• “bene”, in William Smith, editor (1854, 1857), A Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, volume 1 & 2, London: Walton and Maberly

Middle Dutch

Noun

bêne

1. inflection of bêen:
   1. dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative/genitive plural

Middle English

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bʰabʰ-?

Proto-Germanic *babnōder.?

Proto-Germanic *baunō

Proto-West Germanic *baunu

Old English bēan

Middle English bene

From Old English bēan, from Proto-West Germanic *baunu, from Proto-Germanic *baunō. The final vowel is generalised from the Old English inflected forms.

Alternative forms

• beane, beene, beyn, ben, bean

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛːn(ə)/

Noun

bene (plural benes)

1. bean

Descendants

• English: bean
• Scots: bein, bene
• Yola: beanès, beanes, baanès, baanes, banès (plural)

References

• “bēn(e, n.(1)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Etymology 2

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 bene

From Old English bēn, bōn.

Alternative forms

• bien

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeːn(ə)/

Noun

bene (plural benes or benen)

1. request, entreaty
2. favor, boon, gift

Descendants

• English: bene

References

• “bẹ̄ne, n.(2)”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Old English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeː.ne/
• Rhymes: -eː.ne

Noun

bēne

1. inflection of bēn:
   1. accusative/genitive/dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative plural

Sardinian

Etymology

From Latin bene (“well”). Compare Italian bene.

Adjective

bene

1. well

Adverb

bene

1. well

West Makian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbe.n̪e/

Noun

bene

1. louse

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982), The Makian languages and their neighbours‎^[4], Pacific linguistics