Benin en · PROPN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Borrowed from French Bénin, from Portuguese Benim, from Itsekiri Ubinu. The term is first documented in the late 1490s upon Portuguese contact with the Itsekiri Kingdom. The etymology is unclear; it appears Benin was always used as an exonym (probably by the Itsekiri and Yoruba) for the Benin Kingdom, which was always referred to as Ẹ̀dó, and older Ìgòdòmigòdò. The leading hypothesis is that the term originally derived from Yoruba ilẹ̀ ìbínú (“land of anger”), which emerges from a folk myth regarding purported founder of the Benin empire, Oranmiyan, who was a Yoruba prince, who referred to the region by this phrase because of his frustration in ruling the land.
Meanings
- A country in West Africa, formerly Dahomey. ▸ People's Republic of Benin, from 1975 to 1990
- A country in West Africa, formerly Dahomey. ▸ Republic of Benin, since 1990
- A historical kingdom in West Africa, in present-day Nigeria.
Deriveds
Republic of Benin · Bight of Benin · Bay of Benin · Beninese
Descendants
Hypernyms
Relateds
Translations (89)
sh Бенин (country) · ti ቤኒን (country) · sk Benin (country) · de Benin (country) · et Benin (country) · bew Bénin (country) · ug بېنىن (country) · kln Benin (country) · lv Benina (country) · el Μπενίν (country) · be Бені́н (country) · ky Бенин (country) · ast Benín (country) · pt Benim (country) · th เบนิน (country) · ga Beinin (country) · br Benin (country) · hy Բենին (country) · ko 베닌 (country) · pl Benin (country) · km បេណាំង (country) · tr Benin (country) · mt il-Benin (country) · uz Benin (country) · fr Bénin (country) · ka ბენინი (country) · fo Benin (country) · sh Benin (country) · mi Pēnina (country) · no Benin (country) · bn বেনিন (country) · luo Benin (country) · it Benin (country) · ur بینن (country) · ar بَنِين (country) · jv Bénin (country) · ia Benin (country) · yo Bẹ̀nẹ̀ (country) · kam Mbenini (country) · he בנין (country) · tl Benin (country) · aii ܒܸܢܝܼܢ (country) · ro Benin (country) · mer Benin (country) · ko 베냉 (country) · az Benin (country) · cs Benin (country) · eo Benino (country) · la Beninum (country) · sl Benin (country) · mk Бенин (country) · sw Benin (country) · fa بنین (country) · fi Benin (country) · da Benin (country) · ca Benín (country) · su Bénin (country) · is Benín (country) · wal Beniine (country) · af Benin (country) · am ቤኒን (country) · dv ބެނީން (country) · nrf Benin (country) · sv Benin (country) · xmf ბენინი (country) · crh Benin (country) · ha Binin (country) · ru Бени́н (country) · ta பெனின் (country) · cmn 貝寧 /贝宁 (country) · ms Benin (country) · kk Бенин (country) · ja ベナン (country) · uk Бені́н (country) · lt Beninas (country) · mn Бенин (country) · tg Бенин (country) · hu Benin (country) · luy Benini (country) · ha Benin (country) · bg Бени́н (country) · nl Benin (country) · hi बेनिन (country) · ban Bénin (country) · id Benin (country) · es Benín (country) · gl Benín (country) · vi Bê-nanh (country) · my ဘီနင် (country)