been meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

been

verb

/ˈbɪn/ · [ˈbɪn]

Etymology From Middle English been (past participle), from Old English (ġe)bēon. By surface analysis, be + -en.

Participle, Past past participle of be.

All the fries have been eaten.
We're safe, but the car's been totaled.

2 more examples

Postman been?
They been here since yesterday. (dialectal, e.g. AAVE, omitting have)

remote past form of be.

Southern US or African-American Vernacular

He been had that job.
We been knew they was doing this.

1 more example

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.” Max said walking to the door.2013, DayQuan Miller, Back Blocks, StealthMode Entertainment, page 147

been

verb

Etymology 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).

Rare Synonym of be (infinitival sense).

Southern US or African-American Vernacular

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:

2 more examples

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 20:
[…]But one time it use' to been so cold right first of the winter.1966, DARE Tape SC10, quotee, “be v”, in Frederic G. Cassidy, Joan Houston Hall, editors, Dictionary of American Regional English, volume 1, Harvard University Press, published 1985, page 178: