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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

Benjamin en · NOUN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/ (Canada, Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈbend͡ʒəmən/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈbɪnd͡ʒɚmɪn/ (US, pin-pen-merger)
  • /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/ (General-American)
  • /ˈbɪnd͡ʒəmɪn/ (US, pin-pen-merger)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈbend͡ʒəmɪn/ (Australia)
  • /ˈbɛnd͡ʒɚmɪn/ (General-American)

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".

Meanings

  1. (US, in-plural, often, slang) A $100 bill, which bears a portrait of Benjamin Franklin.
    • Sneering through gold grillz, inked to the neck in bad tattoos and representing my area code, Franco leads the spring breakers through a stylized, mtv version of thug life, replete with drugs, guns, Benjamins and booty call. 2015, Thomas Hallock, “City Creeks: Lessons in Sustainable Environmental Discourse from a Florida Boom Town”, in Mark Luccarelli, Sigurd Bergmann, editors, Spaces in-between: Cultural and Political Perspectives on Environmental Discourse, Leiden; Boston, Mass.: Brill-Rodopi, →ISBN, part 1 (Lived Spaces and Political Contexts), page 89:
    • Swimmin' in women wit they own condominiums / Five plus fives, who drive millenniums / It's all about the Benjamins, what? 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.:
    • Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins [title] 2006 April 12, Dean Ornish, “Health Care: It's All About the Benjamins”, in Newsweek, archived from the original on 28 Nov 2006:
    • 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 1994, “One More Chance”, in Ready to Die, performed by The Notorious B.I.G.:
    • He pursed his lips, went to the cash register, and opened it. He pulled out two Benjamins and a US Grant, which he set down on the glass case before me. 2019, Vincent Zandri, chapter 2, in The Caretaker’s Wife, Hoboken, N.J.: Polis Books, →ISBN:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
benjamin alternative lexicographic
Benjamins Number=Plur lexicographic

Relateds

Robert Borden · Benny (pet forms) · Benji (pet forms) · dead president · Ben (pet forms) · Jackson · Hamilton · Benjy (pet forms) · Lincoln · Washington

Synonyms

Ben Franklin · Franklin · Benjamin Franklin · Ben

Benjamin en · PROPN

Pronunciation

  • /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/ (Canada, Received-Pronunciation)
  • /ˈbend͡ʒəmən/ (New-Zealand)
  • /ˈbɪnd͡ʒɚmɪn/ (US, pin-pen-merger)
  • /ˈbɛnd͡ʒəmɪn/ (General-American)
  • /ˈbɪnd͡ʒəmɪn/ (US, pin-pen-merger)
  • (Southern-England) audio
  • /ˈbend͡ʒəmɪn/ (Australia)
  • /ˈbɛnd͡ʒɚmɪn/ (General-American)

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".

Meanings

  1. (countable, uncountable) 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.
    • 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? 1908, George Bernard Shaw, Getting Married:
  2. (countable, uncountable) A male given name from Hebrew of biblical origin.
    • For it would surely improve the domestic standing of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, an unbudgeable hawk, and thereby indefinitely delay peace on that Middle Eastern front. 2009 October 1, “Answering Iran’s Nuclear Challenge”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 17 Jun 2022:
    • "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!" 2007, Mark Schreiber, Starcrossed, Llewellyn Worldwide, →ISBN, page 53:
  3. (countable, uncountable) A small city, the county seat of Knox County, Texas, United States.
  4. (countable, uncountable) A patrilineal surname transferred from the given name.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
Benjamins Number=Plur lexicographic

Deriveds

gum Benjamin · Benjamin syndrome · Benjamin Constant · Harry Benjamin syndrome · Benjamin Button

Relateds

Jamin

Translations (121)

ja ベンジャミン (male given name) · ang Beniamin (male given name) · mt Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ca Benjamí (male given name) · ta பென்யமீன் (the youngest son of Jacob) · uk Веніамі́н (the youngest son of Jacob) · hi बेंजामिन (male given name) · sw Benyamini (the youngest son of Jacob) · da Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ru Вениами́н (the youngest son of Jacob) · fr Benjamin (male given name) · bg Вениами́н (the youngest son of Jacob) · fr Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · gu બિન્યામીન (the youngest son of Jacob) · la Beniāmīnus (the youngest son of Jacob) · sq Benjamín (male given name) · pl Beniamin (male given name) · ro Benjamin (male given name) · fa بنیامین (the youngest son of Jacob) · uk Веніамі́н (male given name) · ga Biniáimin (the youngest son of Jacob) · cmn 本傑明 /本杰明 (male given name) · el Βενιαμίν (male given name) · ru Бе́нджамин (male given name) · ko 벤자민 (male given name) · ja ベニヤミン (the youngest son of Jacob) · lv Bendžamins (male given name) · sv Benjamin (male given name) · sk Benjamín (male given name) · chr ᏇᏂ (male given name) · no Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ang Beniamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · grc Βενιαμίν (the youngest son of Jacob) · da Benjamin (male given name) · cmn 本雅明 (the youngest son of Jacob) · la Beniamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ms Bunyamin (male given name) · gl Benxamín (male given name) · ca Benjamí (the youngest son of Jacob) · la Beniamin (male given name) · sq Benijamín (male given name) · sq Veniamín (male given name) · sv Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · sq Bunjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · bg Бе́нджамин (male given name) · pt Benjamim (the youngest son of Jacob) · am ቢንያም (male given name) · bg Вениами́н (male given name) · ms Bunyamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · bo བེན་ཡ་མིན། (the youngest son of Jacob) · te బెంజమిన్ (male given name) · la Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ar بَنْيَامِين (male given name) · nrf Benjamîn (male given name) · mt Benjaminu (male given name) · hy Բենիամին (male given name) · fa بنیامین (male given name) · he בִּנְיָמִין (the youngest son of Jacob) · hi बिन्यामीन (the youngest son of Jacob) · ar بِنْيَامِين (the youngest son of Jacob) · sh Benjamin (male given name) · cs Benjamín (the youngest son of Jacob) · mk Венјамин (male given name) · el Βενιαμίνος (male given name) · hy Բենիամին (the youngest son of Jacob) · eo Benjameno (male given name) · yi בנימין (male given name) · mi Penamene (male given name) · kk Бунямин (the youngest son of Jacob) · tr Benyamin (male given name) · fi Benjamin (male given name) · uk Веніями́н (the youngest son of Jacob) · eo Benjameno (the youngest son of Jacob) · pl Beniamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · scn Biniaminu (the youngest son of Jacob) · sq Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · cs Benjamín (male given name) · ar بِنْيَامِين (male given name) · hu Benjámin (male given name) · sq Beniamín (male given name) · scn Binjaminu (the youngest son of Jacob) · it Beniamino (male given name) · haw Beniamina (the youngest son of Jacob) · tr Benyamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · es Benjamín (the youngest son of Jacob) · se Benjáme (male given name) · no Benjamin (male given name) · hu Benjámin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ar بَنْيَامِين (the youngest son of Jacob) · cmn 便雅憫 /便雅悯 (the youngest son of Jacob) · lv Benjamīns (male given name) · tum Benjamini (the youngest son of Jacob) · sq Veniamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · fi Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ce Биньямин (the youngest son of Jacob) · he בִּנְיָמִין (male given name) · gd Beniàmin (the youngest son of Jacob) · it Beniamino (the youngest son of Jacob) · chr ᏇᏂ (the youngest son of Jacob) · ta பென்யமீன் (male given name) · la Benjamin (male given name) · sq Beniamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · pt Benjamim (male given name) · de Benjamin (male given name) · fi Penjami (male given name) · ko 베냐민 (male given name) · es Benjamín (male given name) · sh Бењамин (male given name) · tr Bünyamin (male given name) · mi Peneāmine (male given name) · is Benjamín (male given name) · lt Benjaminas (male given name) · be Веніямі́н (the youngest son of Jacob) · mk Бенџамин (male given name) · be Веніямі́н (male given name) · haw Peniʻamina (male given name) · fa بنجامین (male given name) · el Βενιαμίν (the youngest son of Jacob) · ms Benyamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · de Benjamin (the youngest son of Jacob) · ru Вениами́н (male given name)

wikidata: Q460763