Banu (Arabic)
Encyclopedia
Banu is Arabic
for "the sons of" or "children of" and appears before the name of a tribal progenitor. The English counterpart would be "House of", for example the House of Saud
. Another example of the usage is the Banu Quraish, the tribe from which Muhammad
came, and also has a Quranic Surah in its name.
An alternative transliteration of "Bani" is Banee, or vernacular Beni (Béni in French
transliterations).
The word itself is derived from the same root as the patronymic
s "ibn" or "bin" comes.
counterpart: B'nei Yisrael (בני ישראל) (also B'nai Yisrael, B'nei Yisroel or Bene Israel).
Other than tribes, persons can have the words in their name, Fatima bint Hizam was nicknamed Umm Baneen, "mother of many sons".
Another use is the phrase Banu Adam, denoting all the children of Adam. Since Adam is considered the first man in the Abrahamic religions, Banu Adam means "Humankind". "Bani Adam" (son of Adam) or "Bint Adam" (daughter of Adam) is used as a term for a "human being," especially when reminding or admonishing people to "act like human beings" (i.e. respect rules of politeness
and propriety).
"Banu" is the plural of the word "Ibn" or "Bin", which means "Son of". Paternal lineage was clearly identified in Arab history as a sign of good or bad standing. All names were prefixed by "Bin" (for male) and "Bint" (for female), after which the name of the father is designated.
It forms several placenames on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, such as Benidorm
or Benicarló
.
As a form of Arabization
, the word Beni has often been used in official place names or personal names instead of Berber names such as Ath, Ayt and so on. For instance, Beni Yénni
or Béni Ourtilane
are nowadays the administrative names of Algeria
n districts called At Yenni and Ayt Wartiran by their inhabitants.
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
for "the sons of" or "children of" and appears before the name of a tribal progenitor. The English counterpart would be "House of", for example the House of Saud
House of Saud
The House of Saud , also called the Al Saud, is the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia and one of the wealthiest and most powerful dynasties in the world. The family holds thousands of members...
. Another example of the usage is the Banu Quraish, the tribe from which Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
came, and also has a Quranic Surah in its name.
Grammar
For example, "Banu Kaab" literally means the sons of Kaab: the Kaab tribe. Due to the Arabic grammar rules, the word can sometimes become "Bani" depending on the context. For example, it is "Banu Kaab's language", but "belongs to the Bani Kaab". Sometimes, its "Banis".An alternative transliteration of "Bani" is Banee, or vernacular Beni (Béni in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
transliterations).
The word itself is derived from the same root as the patronymic
Patronymic
A patronym, or patronymic, is a component of a personal name based on the name of one's father, grandfather or an even earlier male ancestor. A component of a name based on the name of one's mother or a female ancestor is a matronymic. Each is a means of conveying lineage.In many areas patronyms...
s "ibn" or "bin" comes.
Uses
"Banu Israel" is a common Arabic word for the children of Israel; a Quranic chapter is named so. The term itself is very close to its HebrewHebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
counterpart: B'nei Yisrael (בני ישראל) (also B'nai Yisrael, B'nei Yisroel or Bene Israel).
Other than tribes, persons can have the words in their name, Fatima bint Hizam was nicknamed Umm Baneen, "mother of many sons".
Another use is the phrase Banu Adam, denoting all the children of Adam. Since Adam is considered the first man in the Abrahamic religions, Banu Adam means "Humankind". "Bani Adam" (son of Adam) or "Bint Adam" (daughter of Adam) is used as a term for a "human being," especially when reminding or admonishing people to "act like human beings" (i.e. respect rules of politeness
Politeness
Politeness is best expressed as the practical application of good manners or etiquette. It is a culturally-defined phenomenon, and therefore what is considered polite in one culture can sometimes be quite rude or simply eccentric in another cultural context....
and propriety).
"Banu" is the plural of the word "Ibn" or "Bin", which means "Son of". Paternal lineage was clearly identified in Arab history as a sign of good or bad standing. All names were prefixed by "Bin" (for male) and "Bint" (for female), after which the name of the father is designated.
It forms several placenames on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, such as Benidorm
Benidorm
Benidorm is a coastal town and municipality located in the comarca of Marina Baixa, in the province of Alicante, Valencian community, Spain, by the Western Mediterranean....
or Benicarló
Benicarló
Benicarló is a city and municipality in the north of the province of Castelló, part of the Valencian Community, in the Mediterranean Coast between the cities of Vinaròs and Peníscola, not too far south from the Ebre River....
.
As a form of Arabization
Arabization
Arabization or Arabisation describes a growing cultural influence on a non-Arab area that gradually changes into one that speaks Arabic and/or incorporates Arab culture...
, the word Beni has often been used in official place names or personal names instead of Berber names such as Ath, Ayt and so on. For instance, Beni Yénni
Béni Yenni District
Béni Yenni District is a district of Tizi Ouzou Province, Algeria....
or Béni Ourtilane
Béni Ourtilane District
Béni Ourtilane is a district of the Sétif Province in the Petite Kabylie region of Algeria. It is named after its district capital Béni Ourtilane. It is located in the north-western part of the Sétif Province near the border with Béjaïa and Bordj Bou Arreridj...
are nowadays the administrative names of Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n districts called At Yenni and Ayt Wartiran by their inhabitants.