bien

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bjɛ̃/^[1]

Forms

bien (comparative mieux, superlative le mieux)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French bien, inherited from Latin bene (“well”), the adverb corresponding to bonus (“good”) (whence bon), opposed like the French word to male (whence mal).^[2][3][4][1] In familiar Latin “bene” was also used with an adverb or adjective simply to strengthen its sense.^[2] Littré argued that the noun “bien” cannot come from bonum, since Norman “buen” from “bonus” never turned its “u” into “i”; it is the adverb turned into a noun.^[5]

Cognate with Occitan ben, Catalan ben, Spanish bien, Portuguese bem and Italian bene.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

The adverb is first found in the 10th century, in the Vie de saint Léger.^[6][4]

Semantic evolution

The present values of the adverb are found from the 11th century: “in a satisfactory way” by the standards of the time, intellectual, aesthetic or moral (about 1050), and as an intensifier with verbs and adjectives (about 1050), as in the ironic nous voilà bien ! (1671).^[2] With de it marks a large, indefinite quantity (bien des…), and it strengthens an assertion from the late 10th century.^[2] Its use as a concessive conjunction (1164) was replaced by bien que in the 14th century.^[2] Fort bien was fashionable in the 16th and 17th centuries, and de bien en mieux gave way to de mieux en mieux in the 18th–19th centuries.^[2]

The noun bien “good; what is good” is recorded in the 10th century, and in the material sense “property, possessions” in the 11th.^[4][7] As an invariable adjective (c'est bien, des gens bien) it means “good, decent”.^[1][8]

Timeline

• 10th century – The adverb in the Vie de saint Léger; the noun bien “good”.^[6][4]
• c. 1050 – “Well” and as an intensifier, in the Vie de saint Alexis.^[2]
• 11th century – The noun in the material sense, “property”.^[4][7]
• 1164 – Bien as a concessive conjunction.^[2]
• 14th century – Bien que “although”.^[2]
• 1671 – Ironic nous voilà bien !.^[2]

Meanings

Adverb

1. well: in a satisfactory way: elle danse bien.^[8][1]
2. Rightly, in a morally good way: se conduire bien.^[8]
3. Very, really, quite: bien content, bien trop tard.^[1][2]
4. Much, far (in comparisons): bien plus grand.^[1]
5. Bien des, bien de: many, a lot of: bien des gens.^[1][2]
6. Indeed, really: strengthens an assertion or asks for confirmation: c'est bien lui.^[1][2]

Adjective

1. (invariable) Good, satisfactory; decent, respectable; good-looking: des gens bien.^[1][8]

Noun

1. good: what is advantageous or useful: faire du bien, le bien, the morally good.^[8]
2. (often plural) Property, possessions, wealth: les biens de consommation.^[8][4]

Related words

• ben
• bon
• mieux
• combien
• Latin bene

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
3. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 322b
4. ^ a b c d e f Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
5. ^ a b Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
6. ^ a b Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse
7. ^ a b Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
8. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert