英语词源字典 - 在线词源网站

benefice (n.)[benefice 词源字典]: c. 1300, "a church living," from Old French benefice (13c.) and directly from Latin beneficium "a favor, service, generosity, kindness, benefit," from beneficus "generous, kind, benevolent, obliging," from bene- "good, well" (see bene-) + -ficus, from stem of -ficere, unstressed form of facere "to do, to make" (see factitious).[benefice etymology, benefice origin, 英语词源]
beneficence (n.): "quality of being beneficent, kind, charitable," mid-15c., from Latin beneficentia "kindness, generosity," a back-formation from beneficentior (see beneficent).
beneficent (adj.): 1610s, "doing good, charitable," probably from beneficent on model of magnificent, etc.
beneficial (adj.): mid-15c., "helpful, advantageous," from Middle French bénéficial and directly from Latin beneficialis "pertaining to a favor," from beneficium (see benefice). Related: Beneficially.
beneficiary: 1610s (n.), 1620s (adj.), probably via French bénéficiaire, from Latin beneficiarius "enjoying a favor, privileged," from beneficium (see benefice).
benefit (n.): late 14c., "good or noble deed," also "advantage, profit," from Anglo-French benfet "well-done," from Latin benefactum "good deed," from bene facere (see benefactor). Meaning "performance or entertainment to raise money for some charitable cause" is from 1680s.
benefit (v.): late 15c., from benefit (n.). Related: Benefited; benefiting.
benefits (n.): "financial support (especially for medical expenses) to which one is entitled through employment or membership," 1895, plural of benefit (n.).
Benelux: the customs union of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg, formed October 1947.
benevolence (n.): c. 1400, "disposition to do good," from Old French benivolence and directly from Latin benevolentia "good feeling, good will, kindness," from bene "well" (see bene-) + volantem (nominative volens) present participle of velle "to wish" (see will (v.)). In English history, this was the name given to forced extra-legal loans or contributions to the crown, first so called 1473 by Edward IV, who cynically "asked" it as a token of good will toward his rule.
benevolent (adj.): mid-15c., "wishing to do good, kindly," from Middle French benivolent and directly from Latin benevolentem (nominative benevolens) "wishing (someone) well, benevolent," related to benevolentia "good feeling" (see benevolence). Related: Benevolently.
Bengal: region in South Asia, named for its people, said to be from Banga, name of a founding chief. It is attested in Europe as far back as Marco Polo (1298), who wrote of Bangala.
benight (v.): 1550s, "to be overtaken by darkness," from be- + night. Figurative sense (especially in past participle adjective benighted) of "to involve in moral or intellectual darkness" is from c. 1600.
benign (adj.): early 14c., from Old French benigne (12c., "kind, benign, merciful, gracious;" Modern French bénin, fem. bénigne), from Latin benignus "kindly, kindhearted, friendly, generous," literally "well born," from bene "well" (see bene-) + gignere "to bear, beget," from genus "birth" (see genus). For similar sense evolution, compare gentle, kind (adj.), generous. Related: Benignly.
benignant (adj.): c. 1782, from benign + -ant (see -ent); on model of malignant. Related: Benignantly; benignancy.
benignity (n.): late 14c., from Old French benignité "goodness, kindness" (12c.), from Latin benignitatem (nominative benignitas), from benignus "kindly, kindhearted" (see benign).
Benin: former West African kingdom, from the Bini people, whose name is perhaps related to Arabic bani "sons." Though now the people is associated with Nigeria, the name was taken 1974 by the former nation of Dahomey.
benison (n.): c. 1300, "blessing, beatitude," from Old French beneiçon "blessing, benediction," from Latin benedictionem (see benediction).
Benjamin: masc. proper name, in Old Testament, Jacob's youngest son (Gen. xxxv:18), from Hebrew Binyamin, literally "son of the south," though interpreted in Genesis as "son of the right hand," from ben "son of" + yamin "right hand," also "south" (in an East-oriented culture). Compare Arabic cognate yaman "right hand, right side, south;" yamana "he was happy," literally "he turned to the right." The right was regarded as auspicious (see left and dexterity). Also see Yemen, southpaw, and compare deasil "rightwise, turned toward the right," from Gaelic deiseil "toward the south; toward the right," from deas "right, right-hand; south." Also compare Sanskrit dakshina "right; south." Slang meaning "money" (by 1999) is from portrait of Benjamin Franklin on U.S. $100 bill.
bent (n.1): "mental inclination," 1570s, probably from earlier literal sense "condition of being deflected or turned" (1530s), from bent (adj.) "not straight" (q.v.).