FromMiddle High Germanbein, fromOld High Germanbein, fromProto-West Germanic*bain, fromProto-Germanic*bainą. CompareDutchbeen,Englishbone,Danishben.
Bein n (strong,genitiveBeinesorBeins,pluralBeine,diminutiveBeinchen n)
- leg of a person, animal, or object
- (technical, archaic, except in compounds)bone
- Synonym:Knochen
- In a narrower sense, GermanBein excludes the feet, but for the most part it includes them. It can even refer to the feet specifically in some regions where a clothed but barefoot person might hearDu hast ja nichts an den Beinen!(literally“You have nothing on your legs!”) Compare also the phrasewiederauf den Beinen, where English says “back on one’s feet”.
- The sense ofbone is widely obsolete in standard usage, apart from technical usage ("aus Beingeschnitzt"), some common phrases, such as "durchMark und Bein", and various compounds, such asSchlüsselbein,Elfenbein,Steißbein.
Declension ofBein [neuter, strong]
Bein m (pluralBeiner)
- Alternative form ofBeen(“leg”)
Bein n (pluralhas not been set)
- Alternative form ofBeen(“bone”)
