bene

See also: Bene and bene-

English

Etymology 1

From Middle English bene, Greek, from Old English bēn (“prayer, request, petition, favour, compulsory service”), from Proto-Germanic *bōniz (“supplication”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂- (“to say, speak”). Cognate with Danish bøn (“prayer”), Swedish bön (“prayer”), Icelandic bæn (“prayer”), Icelandic bón (“request”). Related to ban. See also boon, bee.

Alternative forms

Noun

bene (plural benes)

  1. (now chiefly dialectal) A prayer, especially to God; a petition; a boon.
    • Wordsworth
      What is good for a bootless bene?

Etymology 2

Noun

bene (uncountable)

  1. Alternative form of benne (sesame)

Etymology 3

UK C16. Probably from Latin bene or Italian bene.

Alternative forms

Adjective

bene (comparative benar, superlative benat)

  1. (obsolete, Britain, thieves' cant) Good. [16th-19th c.]
    • 1828, Bulwer-Lytton, Edward, Pelham: or The Adventures of a Gentleman‎, 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
  • For semantic relationships of this term, see good in the Thesaurus.
Derived terms

Noun

bene (plural benes)

  1. (obsolete, Britain, thieves' cant) Tongue. [16th-18th c.]
    Stowe your bene!

References

  • Grose, Francis (1788) A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue‎, 2nd edition, London: S. Hooper
  • “bene” in Albert Barrère and Charles G[odfrey] Leland, compilers and editors, A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon & Cant, volume I (A–K), Edinburgh: The Ballantyne Press, 1889–1890, page 107.
  • Farmer, John Stephen (1890) Slang and Its Analogues‎, volume 1, pages 178–179
  • Eric Partridge, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang. Routledge, 1973. →ISBN.

Anagrams

Afrikaans

Noun

bene

  1. plural of been

Dutch

Pronunciation

  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -eːnə

Verb

bene

  1. (archaic) singular present subjunctive of benen

Anagrams

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian bene.

Adverb

bene

  1. Synonym of bien

Italian

Etymology

From Latin bene.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈbɛː.ne], /ˈbɛne/
  • Audio(file)

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
    Non è necessario spendere una fortuna per mangiare bene.
    You don’t need to spend a fortune to eat well.
  2. properly, correctly, rightly
    La mia lavatrice non funziona bene, qualcuno mi può aiutare?
    My washing machine isn't working properly, can anybody help me?
  3. thoroughly, carefully
    Leggere bene le istruzioni prima dell'uso.
    Read the instructions carefully before use.
  4. as much as, as many as
    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.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

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
    L'eterna lotta tra il bene e il male.
    The eternal struggle between good and evil.
  2. (chiefly in the plural) goods, property, possessions, belongings, assets
    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
    Lo faccio per il tuo bene!
    I'm doing this for your sake!
  4. happiness
    Auguro ogni bene a te e alla tua famiglia.
    Wish you and your family every happiness.
  5. sweetheart, darling, love
    Sei il mio bene! ― You are my sweetheart!
  6. asset

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

  • bene immobile
  • bene mobile
  • bene private
  • bene pubblico
  • bene di stato

Further reading

Latin

Etymology

From Old Latin *duened, from duenos (“good”), which gave bonus. More at bonus.

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈbe.ne/, [ˈbɛ.nɛ]
  • (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈbe.ne/, [ˈbeː.ne]
  • Audio (Classical)(file)

Adverb

bene (comparative melius, superlative optimē)

  1. well
    Tibi bene ex animo volo.
    I wish you well with all my heart.
  2. properly, exactly
  3. agreeably, favorably

Derived terms

Descendants

References

  • 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’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition, 1883–1887)
  • bene in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Hachette
  • Carl Meissner; Henry William Auden (1894) Latin Phrase-Book‎, 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
  • 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 and genitive plural
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