benin
benin Lexical Profile
• noun
A country in West Africa bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso and Niger to the north, and the Bight of Benin to the south.
"The official language of Benin is French, reflecting its colonial history prior to gaining independence in 1960."
A powerful pre-colonial African empire that flourished from the 13th to the 19th century, located in what is now southern Nigeria.
"The intricately cast brass and bronze sculptures known as the Benin Bronzes were looted from the Kingdom of Benin by British forces in 1897."
Word Nuance & Usage
Care should be taken not to confuse the modern Republic of Benin (a French-speaking country in West Africa) with the historical Kingdom of Benin and modern Benin City, both of which are located in neighboring English-speaking Nigeria.
• Rhymes for benin
Word Origin & Etymology
The modern Republic of Benin (formerly Dahomey) was named after the Bight of Benin in 1975 to maintain neutrality among the country's ethnic groups. The bight itself was named by European explorers after the historical Kingdom of Benin, whose name derives from 'Bini', a term used by neighboring peoples for the Edo empire.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.