bename

English

Etymology

From Middle English benamnen, benemnen, from Old English benemnan (“to name, stipulate, settle, declare, asseverate”), equivalent to be- +‎ name. Compare Saterland Frisian benaame, German benennen (“to name, designate”), Swedish benämna (“to name, call”), Dutch benoemen (“to appoint, nominate”).

Verb

bename (third-person singular simple present benames, present participle benaming, simple past benamed, past participle benamed or benempt)

(obsolete, transitive) To swear on oath; to solemnly declare; promise; give.
(transitive) To name; give a name (to); mention by name; nominate; denominate; call.
- 1815, Edmund Burke, editor, The Annual Register:
  " […] the only British commander who, in the general estimation, could benamed as his rival in military fame; […] "
- 1896, Lowell, Percival, Mars:
  Unfortunately, the planet has been quite too much benamed, — benamed, indeed, out of all recognition.
- 1994, Sprung, Mervyn, After Truth: Explorations in Life Sense, SUNY Press, page 71:
  As though the benamed things carried the longings of humans;
- 2006, Ascott, Roy, Engineering Nature: Art & Consciousness in the Post-Biological Era, Intellect Books:
  In other words, […] that 'names' do not 'form' benamed objects but are mere signifiers […]
(transitive) To name; call; style; describe as.

Synonyms

(to swear on oath): vow
(to give a name, call): designate, dub, name; see also Thesaurus:denominate
(to describe as): refer to, term

Translations

to give a name, call

Dutch: benamen (nl), benoemen (nl), namen (nl), vernoemen (nl)
French: appeler (fr)

Anagrams

Beeman, Mebane, bemean

Dutch

Verb

bename

(archaic) singular past subjunctive of benemen