been

plural of bee

Noun

  1. plural of bee

Origin

From Middle English been, bene, ben, beon, from Old English bēon (“bees”), equivalent to bee + -en (plural ending).

Verb form of, participle

  1. past participle of be.
    • All the fries have been eaten.
    • We're safe, but the car's been totaled.
    • Postman been?
  2. remote past form of be.
    • He been had that job.
    • We been knew they was doing this.
    • She was disloyal, Casper was disloyal, so them muthafuckas gotta go. Like you said[,] we been knew we was going to have to kill Frost, so let's do it and Light too.” Star said. “Say no more. I'ma handle Kisha myself.”...

Origin

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Germanic *ga- Proto-West Germanic *ga- Old English ġe- Proto-Indo-European *bʰuH- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *bʰuHyétider.? Proto-Germanic *beuną Proto-West Germanic *beun Old English bēon Old English ġebēon Middle English been English been From Middle English been (past participle), from Old English (ġe)bēon. By surface analysis, be + -en.

Verb rare

  1. Synonym of be (infinitival sense).
    • It useta been five foot long.
    • "Bones", says he, "I tink dey's a-goin' to been a war ober de Alabamy question[…] - 1875, Minstrel Gags and End Men's Hand-book, New York: Dick and Fitzgerald, page 83; republished New York: Literature House, 1969:
    • Yur a boald 'un to tell the missus theer to hur feeace as how ya wur 'tossicatit whan ya owt to been duing yur larful business. - 1888, Mary Augusta Ward, “Book I”, in Robert Elsmere, London: Macmillan and Company, page...

    Synonyms: be

Origin

Either from Middle English been (“to be”, infinitive) (from Old English bēon, equivalent to be + -en (infinitive ending)), or from a dialectal use of the preceding past tense form as an infinitive form (compare dialectal use of (I)'s, (I) is in the first person, (he) am in the third person, etc).

Verb form of, obsolete

  1. plural simple present of be.
    • My love is fair, my love is gay, / As fresh as been the flowers in May; - 1584, George Peele, The Arraignment of Paris, I, ii:
    • Theſe Beaſtes been of higheſt Regard and Price / To pleaſure Princes and to murder vice. - 1606, N[athaniel] B[axter], Sir Philip Sydneys Ouránia, That Is, Endimions Song and Tragedie, Containing All Philosophie,...
    • Where when men been, there's ſeldome eaſe, - c. 1607–1608 (date written), William Shakespeare, [George Wilkins?], The Late, and Much Admired Play, Called Pericles, Prince of Tyre. […], London: […] [William White and...

Origin

From Middle English been (plural indicative form); equivalent to be + -en (plural present ending).