bene

Etymology 1

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

Etymology 2

Etymology 3

UK C16. Probably from Latin bene or Italian bene.

Anagrams

• Eben, NEbE, been, eben, neeb

Noun

bene

1. plural of been

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛne/

Noun

bene m

1. Alternative form of bè

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eːnə

Verb

bene

1. (dated or formal) singular present subjunctive of benen

Anagrams

• been

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian bene.

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

Adverb

bene

1. Synonym of bien

Alternative forms

• biene (archaic)
• ben (apocopic)

Etymology

From Latin bene.

Pronunciation

• (standard) IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ.ne/
  • Rhymes: -ɛne
  • Hyphenation: bè‧ne
• (northern Italy) IPA^(key): /ˈbe.ne/

  • Audio (Northern Italy):

    (file)

  • Rhymes: -ene
  • Hyphenation: bé‧ne

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

   Antonym: male

   Non è necessario spendere una fortuna per mangiare bene.

   You don’t need to spend a fortune to eat well.

2. properly, correctly, rightly

   Synonym: correttamente

   Antonyms: erratamente, erroneamente

   La mia lavatrice non funziona bene, qualcuno mi può aiutare?

   My washing machine isn't working properly, can anybody help me?

3. thoroughly, carefully

   Synonyms: attentamente, minuziosamente

   Leggere bene le istruzioni prima dell'uso.

   Read the instructions carefully before use.

4. as much as, as many as

   Synonym: valore di

   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.

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

   Antonym: male

   L'eterna lotta tra il bene e il male.

   The eternal struggle between good and evil.

2. (usually in the plural) goods, property, possessions, belongings, assets

   Synonyms: proprietà, possedimenti

   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

   Antonym: male

   Lo faccio per il tuo bene!

   I'm doing this for your sake!

4. happiness

   Synonym: felicità

   Antonym: tristezza

   Auguro ogni bene a te e alla tua famiglia.

   Wish you and your family every happiness.

5. sweetheart, darling, love, bless someone's cotton socks

   Synonyms: amore, tesoro, amato

   Sei il mio bene! ― You are my sweetheart!

6. asset

Further reading

• bene on the Italian Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^it

Etymology

From Old Latin *duenēd, from duenos (“good”), which gave bonus, from Proto-Italic *dwenos.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈbe.ne/, [ˈbɛnɛ]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈbe.ne/, [ˈbɛːne]

Adverb

bene (comparative melius, superlative optimē)

1. well

   Antonym: male

   Tibi bene ex animo volo.

   I wish you well with all my heart.

2. properly, exactly
3. agreeably, favorably

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 with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 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

Noun

bêne

1. inflection of bêen:
   1. dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative/genitive plural

Alternative forms

• beane, beene, beyn, ben, bean

Etymology

From Old English bēan, from Proto-West Germanic *baunu, from Proto-Germanic *baunō. The final vowel is generalised from the Old English inflected forms.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛːn(ə)/

Noun

bene (plural benes)

1. bean

Noun

bēne

1. inflection of bēn:
   1. accusative/genitive/dative singular
   2. nominative/accusative plural

Etymology

From Latin bene (“well”). Compare Italian bene.

Adjective

bene

1. well

Adverb

bene

1. well

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbe.n̪e/

Noun

bene

1. louse

References

• Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎, Pacific linguistics