been

Etymology 1

From Middle English ybeen, from Old English ġebēon, past participle of bēon (“to be”), equivalent to be +‎ -en.

Etymology 2

From Middle English been, from Old English bēon (“bees”), nominative and accusative plural of bēo (“bee”). More at bee.

See also

• be for forms of be

References

Vaux, Bert and Scott Golder. 2003. The Harvard Dialect Survey: been. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Linguistics Department.

Anagrams

• Bene, NEbE, bene, eben, neeb

Etymology

From Dutch been.

Noun

been (plural bene)

1. leg
2. bone

Etymology

From Middle Dutch bêen, from Old Dutch bēn, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -eːn
• IPA^(key): /beːn/

• audio

  (file)

Noun

been n (plural benen, diminutive beentje n)

1. leg, limb of a person, horse (other animals' would have poten) and certain objects (again many have poten)

   De benen van een passer. ― The legs of a pair of compasses.

2. (mathematics) side, leg

   De benen van een hoek. ― The sides of an angle.

Noun

been n (plural beenderen or benen, diminutive beentje n)

1. bone, constituent part of a skeleton.
2. (uncountable) bone, the chalky material bones are made of

Verb

been

1. first-person singular present indicative of benen
2. imperative of benen

Anagrams

• bene

Noun

been

1. leg

See also

• German Low German: Been

Etymology

From Old Dutch bēn, from Proto-Germanic *bainą.

Noun

bêen n

1. leg
2. foot
3. bone

Further reading

• “been”, in Vroegmiddelnederlands Woordenboek, 2000
• “been”, in Middelnederlandsch Woordenboek, 1929

Alternative forms

• beon, boen, bean, ben, be

Etymology

From a conflation of Old English bēon and wesan, from Proto-Germanic *beuną and *wesaną, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰewHeti and a conflation of *h₂wéseti and *h₁ésti.

Pronunciation

• (Early ME) IPA^(key): /bøːn/
• IPA^(key): /beːn/

Verb

been

1. to be
   • 1407, The Testimony of William Thorpe, pages 40–41

     And I seide, “Ser, in his tyme maister Ioon Wiclef was holden of ful many men the grettis clerk that thei knewen lyuynge vpon erthe. And therwith he was named, as I gesse worthili, a passing reuli man and an innocent in al his lyuynge. And herfore grete men of kunnynge and other also drowen myche to him, and comownede ofte with him. And thei sauouriden so his loore that thei wroten it bisili and enforsiden hem to rulen hem theraftir… Maister Ion Aston taughte and wroot acordingli and ful bisili, where and whanne and to whom he myghte, and he vsid it himsilf, I gesse, right perfyghtli vnto his lyues eende. Also Filip of Repintoun whilis he was a chanoun of Leycetre, Nycol Herforde, dane Geffrey of Pikeringe, monke of Biland and a maistir dyuynyte, and Ioon Purueye, and manye other whiche weren holden rightwise men and prudent, taughten and wroten bisili this forseide lore of Wiclef, and conformeden hem therto. And with alle these men I was ofte homli and I comownede with hem long tyme and fele, and so bifore alle othir men I chees wilfulli to be enformed bi hem and of hem, and speciali of Wiclef himsilf, as of the moost vertuous and goodlich wise man that I herde of owhere either knew. And herfore of Wicleef speciali and of these men I toke the lore whiche I haue taughte and purpose to lyue aftir, if God wole, to my lyues ende.”

   1382 John Wycliffe, translation of the Bible (John 1:48)

   Bifor that Filip clepide thee, whanne thou were vndur the fige tree, Y saiy thee.

Verb

been

1. past participle of be