The word "been" is the past participle of the verb "be." It refers to the state of existence or identity. In simple terms, "been" is used to describe something that has occurred or has been in a certain state in the past. It's commonly used in various tenses to express experiences or states of being.
The word "been" originates from Old English "beon," which means "to be" or "to exist." It has evolved through Middle English before taking its modern form.