Le benjamin modeste et ses frères arrogants

What does “benjamin” mean in French?

Le benjamin (feminine la benjamine) is the youngest child in a family. The word is a biblical name doing everyday work: Benjamin was Jacob’s youngest and best-loved son in Genesis, and by the eighteenth century French had turned him into a common noun. It completes a set worth learning together — l’aîné is the eldest, le cadet the younger or middle one.

It reaches beyond families: le benjamin de l’équipe is the youngest member of a squad, and French youth sport uses benjamins as an official age category. A trace of “best-loved” survives faintly, since the benjamin is often assumed to be the spoiled one. This tale leans on exactly that contrast, setting a youngest brother who is modeste against two who are arrogants, orgueilleux et égoïstes.