H1123 בֵּן bên → ← H1129 בָּנָה bânâh
31 languagesMale offspring; in a broad sense, a descendant, member, or affiliate of a family, group, or category. Used both literally for a biological son and metaphorically for descendant, member of a profession, class, or people; also signifies youth or young man in certain contexts. The semantic range extends to designate an individual with a particular relationship of belonging, association, or derivation within a lineage, tribe, nation, or collective.
Etymology
בנה (Aramaic form of the Hebrew root בנה) meaning 'to build.' The noun בֵּן derives from the concept of 'one who is built' (i.e., offspring or descendant), reflecting the role of children in establishing and continuing the family or lineage. While this term is Aramaic, it remains closely related in meaning and form to the Hebrew בֵּן, sharing the same core derivation.
Reflexes · not yet grouped by proto-form
| Language | Word | Meaning | Segmentation | Root |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bemba | umwana | child, son, daughter | -wana | |
| Chichewa | mwana | child | *-wana | |
| Chichewa (Nyanja) | mwana | child, son, offspring | -wana | |
| Chokwe | muana | child | *-wana | |
| Chokwe | mwana | child, son, daughter | -wana | |
| Herero | omwana | child | -wana | |
| Kikongo | mwana | child, offspring | -wana | |
| Kikuyu | mwana | child, son or daughter | *-wana | |
| Kikuyu (Gikuyu) | mwana | child | -wana | |
| Kimbundu | mwana | child, offspring | -wana | |
| Kinyarwanda | umwana | child | -wana | |
| Kirundi | umwana | child | -wana | |
| Lingala | mwana | child, offspring | -wana | |
| Lozi | mwana | child, son, daughter | -wana | |
| Luganda | omwana | child, young person | *-wana | |
| Luganda (Ganda) | mwana | child, son, offspring (not specifically male, but frequently applied so) | -wana | |
| Lunda | mwana | child | -wana | |
| Luvale | mwana | child, son, daughter | -wana | |
| Ndebele | umntwana | child, son, daughter | -ntwana | |
| Sesotho | ngwana | child | *-wana | |
| Setswana | ngwana | child | *-wana | |
| Shona | mwana | child, son, daughter, offspring | -wana | |
| Sotho (Sesotho) | ngwana | child | -ngwana | |
| Swahili | mtoto, mwana | child, son, offspring, pupil | -wana | |
| Tonga (Zambia) | mwana | child, offspring | -wana | |
| Tswana | ngwana | child | -ngwana | |
| Umbundu | mwana | child | *-wana | |
| Umbundu | omwana | child | -wana | |
| Venda | mwana | child | *-wana | |
| Xhosa | umntwana | child | -ntwana | |
| Zulu | umntwana | child, offspring | -ntwana |