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Benjamin
Definitions
- 1 The youngest of the sons of Jacob and Rachel in the Bible. countable, uncountable
"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 from Hebrew of biblical origin. countable, uncountable
""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. countable, uncountable
- 4 A patrilineal surname transferred from the given name. countable, uncountable
- 1 A balsamic resin from the bark of Styrax trees used in perfumes, incense, and medicine; benzoin resin. countable, uncountable
- 2 A kind of upper coat for men. UK, dated, slang
"something which is not long enough to constitute a benjamin, and too long for a dress coat or spencer"
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of Benjamin: a US $100 bill. US, alt-of, slang
- 4 A $100 bill, which bears a portrait of Benjamin Franklin. US, in-plural, often, slang
"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"
- 5 gum resin used especially in treating skin irritation wordnet
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- 6 A type of tree which produces benzoin or has similar properties; specifically, Styrax benzoin, Lindera benzoin; a Benjamin bush. countable, uncountable
Etymology
From benzoin, modified by folk etymology to match the name Benjamin.
From the image of Benjamin Franklin on the US $100 bill.
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".
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".
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