Definition of bean

The origin of the word "bean" is fascinating! The term "bean" has its roots in Old English and Dutch, with the earliest recorded use dating back to the 9th century. The Proto-Germanic word "*bainiz" was the ancestor of both the English and Dutch words "bean". This word is believed to have been derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*bhes-" meaning "to grow" or "to swell". In Middle English (circa 11th-15th centuries), the word "bean" referred to a wide range of legumes, including kidney beans, black beans, and broad beans. Over time, the term "bean" became more closely associated with the edible legume we know today, particularly after the introduction of the New World bean species from the Americas during the Columbian Exchange. Today, the word "bean" is used in many languages to refer to this type of plant-based food.