Benjamin

English

Etymology

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right/south or son of days). Authorities differ on the meaning of the original Hebrew. Philo of Alexandria, the Samaritan Pentateuch The Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs and Midrash Leḳaḥ-Ṭob understand יָמִין to mean "days" (a meaning attested in Daniel 12:13) understanding the name to mean "son of days (i.e. old age)" (compare to the direct translations into Arabic بِنْ يَومِين (bin yawmīn) "son of the days" and Arabic بِنْ يَمِين (bin yamīn) "son of the right hand"), a formula paraphrased in Genesis 40:22 where Benjamin is described as a child of Jacob's old age. Rashi in his commentary on Genesis also gives this as a possible meaning but favors an understanding of יָמִין to mean "right" in the sense of "the south", noting that Benjamin was the only son of Jacob born in the south. Jerome understood the name to mean "son of the right hand" and Gesenius speculated that this expression might have meant "son of good fortune".

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/, /ˈbɛnd͡ʒɚmɪn/
  • (pinpen merger) IPA(key): /ˈbɪnd͡ʒəmɪn/, /ˈbɪnd͡ʒɚmɪn/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin (countable and uncountable, plural Benjamins)

  1. The youngest of the sons of Jacob and Rachel in the Bible.
    • :
      And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
    • 1908, George Bernard Shaw, Getting Married:
      What about the youngest child - the Benjamin - the child of its parents' mature strength and charity, always better treated than the unfortunate eldest children of their youthful ignorance and wilfulness?
  2. A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
    • 2007, Mark Schreiber, Starcrossed, Llewellyn Worldwide, →ISBN, page 53:
      "Well, who the hell ever thinks some boy with a name like Benjamin is going to kill someone?" I said. "It's like someone named Winnie the Pooh taking hostages!"
  3. A small city, the county seat of Knox County, Texas, United States.
  4. A surname transferred from the given name.

Translations

Noun

Benjamin (plural Benjamins)

  1. (US slang, often in the plural) A US$100 bill, which bears a portrait of Benjamin Franklin.
    Synonym: Franklin
    • 1994, “One More Chance”, in Ready to Die, performed by The Notorious B.I.G.:
      Fuck the past, let's dwell on the 500SL, the E&J and ginger ale / The way my pockets swell to the rims with Benjamins
    • 1997, “It's All About the Benjamins”, in No Way Out, performed by Puff Daddy ft. Lil' Kim, the Lox and the Notorious B.I.G.:
      Swimmin' in women wit they own condominiums / Five plus fives, who drive millenniums / It's all about the Benjamins, what?
    • 2006 April 12, Dean Ornish, “Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins”, in Newsweek, archived from the original on 2006-11-28:
      Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins [title]

Usage notes

Often used in the plural form to indicate large sums of money.

Alternative forms

See also

Further reading


Cebuano

Etymology

From English Benjamin, from Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right [hand]). Also from Spanish Benjamín.

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin

  1. a male given name from English
  2. (biblical) Benjamin
  3. the tribe of Benjamin

Danish

Proper noun

Benjamin

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch benjamin, from Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right/south or son of days).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛn.jaːˌmɪn/
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin m

  1. Benjamin (Biblical character, mythological son of Jacob)
  2. a male given name

Faroese

Etymology

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn, literally son of the right [hand]).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɛn.ja.ˌmin/

Proper noun

Benjamin m

  1. (biblical) Benjamin
  2. a male given name

Usage notes

  • son of Benjamin: Benjaminsson
  • daughter of Benjamin: Benjaminsdóttir

Declension

Singular
Indefinite
Nominative Benjamin
Accusative Benjamin
Dative Benjamini
Genitive Benjamins

Finnish

Etymology

From Late Latin Benjamin, from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín), from Biblical Hebrew בִּנְיָמִין (binyamīn).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbenjɑmin/, [ˈbe̞njɑmin]
  • Rhymes: -enjɑmin
  • Syllabification(key): Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
    • 1933, Bible, Genesis 35:18:
      Mutta kun hänen henkensä oli lähtemäisillään, sillä hänen oli kuoltava, antoi hän hänelle nimen Benoni, mutta hänen isänsä antoi hänelle nimen Benjamin.
      And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin.
  2. a male given name
    • 1923, Frans Hjalmar Nortamo, Helmikoristeinen kirjanmerkki, WSOY (1947), John 20:24-25, page 33:
      Rovasti oli sitä paitsi arvellut olevan parasta, että Penua tästä lähtien ruvettaisiin kutsumaan Kustaaksi, koska nimi Benjamin ja sen lyhennys Penu varmasti antaisi hänen koulutovereilleen aihetta pilan tekoon ja härnäilemiseen.
      Furthermore, the provost had said that it would be best that Penu should be called Kustaa from this onwards, because the name Benjamin and its shorter form Penu would certainly give his schoolmates a cause to bantering and bullying.

Declension

Inflection of Benjamin (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative Benjamin Benjaminit
genitive Benjaminin Benjaminien
partitive Benjaminia Benjamineja
illative Benjaminiin Benjamineihin
singular plural
nominative Benjamin Benjaminit
accusative nom. Benjamin Benjaminit
gen. Benjaminin
genitive Benjaminin Benjaminien
partitive Benjaminia Benjamineja
inessive Benjaminissa Benjamineissa
elative Benjaminista Benjamineista
illative Benjaminiin Benjamineihin
adessive Benjaminilla Benjamineilla
ablative Benjaminilta Benjamineilta
allative Benjaminille Benjamineille
essive Benjaminina Benjamineina
translative Benjaminiksi Benjamineiksi
instructive Benjaminein
abessive Benjaminitta Benjamineitta
comitative Benjamineineen
Possessive forms of Benjamin (type risti)
possessor singular plural
1st person Benjaminini Benjaminimme
2nd person Benjaminisi Benjamininne
3rd person Benjamininsa

Proper noun

Benjamin

  1. genitive singular of Benjam

French

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /bɛ̃.ʒa.mɛ̃/
  • (file)

Proper noun

Benjamin m

  1. (biblical) Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

German

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbɛnjaˌmiːn/, /-ˌmɪn/
  • (file)
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: Ben‧ja‧min

Proper noun

Benjamin m (proper noun, strong, genitive Benjamins)

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

Noun

Benjamin m (strong, genitive Benjamins, plural Benjamine)

  1. youngest child

Further reading

  • Benjamin” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • Benjamin” in Duden online

Latin

Alternative forms

Etymology

Borrowed from Ancient Greek Βενιαμίν (Beniamín).

Pronunciation

  • (Classical) IPA(key): /ˈben.i̯a.min/, [ˈbɛni̯ämɪn]
  • (Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /ˈben.ja.min/, [ˈbɛnjämin]

Proper noun

Benjamin m (indeclinable)

  1. (Late Latin) Benjamin (the youngest son of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob)

Descendants

  • English: Benjamin
  • Faroese: Benjamin

References

  • Benjămin”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • Benjamin in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette, page 214/3

Manx

Proper noun

Benjamin m

  1. a male given name

Mutation

Manx mutation
RadicalLenitionEclipsis
BenjaminVenjaminMenjamin
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Norwegian

Proper noun

Benjamin

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name

Swedish

Proper noun

Benjamin c (genitive Benjamins)

  1. Benjamin (Biblical figure)
  2. a male given name
This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.