beca

See also: becá and bể cá

Catalan

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈbɛ.kə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈbɛ.ka]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

Noun

beca f (plural beques)

1. scholarship

Derived terms

• becar
• becari

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈbɛ.kə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈbɛ.ka]

Verb

beca

1. inflection of becar (“to subsidize (a student), to give a stipend to”):
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Etymology 3

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈbe.kə]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [ˈbe.ka]

Verb

beca

1. inflection of becar (“to snooze, to nap”):
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Anagrams

• ceba

Malay

Etymology

From Late Classical Malay بيچا (beca), from Hokkien 馬車 / 马车 (bé-chhia).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbet͡ʃa/ [ˈbe.t͡ʃa]
• Rhymes: -et͡ʃa, -t͡ʃa, -a

Noun

beca (Jawi spelling بيچا, plural beca-beca or beca²)

1. cycle rickshaw, velotaxi
2. trishaw

   Synonym: becak (Indonesia)

Derived terms

Affixed terms and other derivations

Regular affixed derivations:

• berbeca [stative / habitual] (beR-)

See also

• lanca

References

• “beca”, in Kamus Dewan [The Institute Dictionary] (in Malay), Fourth edition, Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2005, →ISBN

Further reading

• "beca" in Pusat Rujukan Persuratan Melayu (PRPM) [Malay Literary Reference Centre (PRPM)] (in Malay), Kuala Lumpur: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, 2017

Old Irish

Alternative forms

• becca

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʲe.ɡa/

Adjective

beca

1. inflection of bec:
   1. nominative plural feminine/neuter
   2. vocative/accusative plural all genders

Mutation

Mutation of beca

radical	lenition	nasalization
beca	beca pronounced with /βʲ-/	mbeca

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Portuguese

Etymology

Unknown, compare Spanish beca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɛ.kɐ/

• Rhymes: -ɛkɐ
• Hyphenation: be‧ca

Noun

beca f (plural becas)

1. gown (official robe)

   Synonym: toga

2. (informal, Portugal) a bit (small quantity)

   Synonyms: bocado, pouco, (Portugal, informal) coche

Further reading

• “beca”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “beca”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbeka/ [ˈbe.ka]
• Rhymes: -eka
• Syllabification: be‧ca

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Italian becco, from Latin beccus (“beak”) because of a medieval gown worn that covered the face like a beak.

Noun

beca f (plural becas)

1. grant, stipend
2. scholarship

   una beca Erasmus ― an Erasmus scholarship

Derived terms

• becado
• becario

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

beca

1. inflection of becar:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “beca”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025