Etymologically
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bon

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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /bɔ̃/[1]
  • IPA: /bɔ.n‿/[1]

Forms

bon (feminine bonne, masculine plural bons, feminine plural bonnes, comparative meilleur, superlative le meilleur)[1] Old French buon (881), boen, buen and bon.[2] Bon, the form developed in unstressed position, won because the adjective usually stood before the noun.[2][3]

Etymology

It is inherited from Old French bon, inherited from Latin bonus (“good; fitting; brave”).[2][4][5][1] The Latin word was used in formulas of politeness and, familiarly, for “great” (“bona pars” “a good part”); it was opposed to malus and closely linked to its derivatives bene (whence bien) and bellus (whence beau).[2][6] It goes back to Old Latin duenos, “duonus”, from “*dwenos”.[2][1] Rey compares its stem with Vedic “dúvaḥ” “homage”, which would point to an old religious use, as in “di boni” “kind gods”.[2][1]

Cognate with Romanian bun, Italian buono, Occitan bon, Spanish bueno and Portuguese bom.[6][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

The Sequence of Saint Eulalia (881) has Buona pulcella fut Eulalia “Eulalia was a good maiden”, of a person with the qualities proper to her nature and station, “true, virtuous”.[2][8]

Semantic evolution

The oldest uses come under the idea of fitness: bon described a being with the qualities thought proper to its nature, sex, rank or function according to the culture of the time.[2] It was applied to things from the 11th century.[5] Many senses developed: “efficient, suited to its purpose” (la bonne clé), “useful”, “profitable” (une bonne affaire), “kind” and, familiarly, “great, strong” (une bonne grippe).[9]

As a noun un bon is a written note entitling the holder to a payment or service, from about 1700 (Saint-Simon), and bonne “maidservant” dates from 1708.[3][5] Bonbon (1604) is a children's doubling, and boniment (1837) comes through a slang verb bonir “to talk”.[3] Bon ! as an interjection marks agreement or a conclusion.[5][6]

Timeline

  • 881 – Buona in the Sequence of Saint Eulalia.[2]
  • 11th century – Bon of things.[5]
  • 1604 – Bonbon.[3]
  • c. 1700 – Un bon, a voucher, in Saint-Simon.[3][5]
  • 1708 – Bonne “maidservant”.[3]
  • 1837 – Boniment.[3]

Meanings

Adjective

  1. good: having the qualities proper to its kind: un bon ouvrier, un bon vin.[9][1]
  2. Right, correct, suitable: la bonne clé, le bon chemin.[9][1]
  3. Good, useful, profitable: une bonne affaire, bon pour la santé.[9]
  4. Kind, generous: un homme bon.[1][2]
  5. (familiar) Big, strong: une bonne grippe, un bon coup.[9]
  6. (slang, derogatory) Sexy, of a woman.[1]

Noun

  1. Le bon: what is good, avoir du bon, to have its advantages.[6]
  2. A voucher, a coupon: bon d'achat, bon du Trésor.[6][1]

Interjection

  1. Good, well, all right: bon, on y va.[5][6]

Word family

  • bonbon
  • bonjour
  • bonne
  • bonhomme
  • boniment
  • bonifier
  • abonnir

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Rey, Alain, ed. (1992), Dictionnaire historique de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Bloch, Oscar; Wartburg, Walther von (1989), Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue française, 8th ed., Paris: Presses universitaires de France
  4. ^ Wartburg, Walther von, et al. (1922–2002), Französisches Etymologisches Wörterbuch, 25 vols., Bonn / Leipzig / Basel: Klopp / Teubner / Zbinden, p. 1, 433b
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Rey, Alain, ed. (2005), Le Grand Robert de la langue française, electronic version, Paris: Le Robert
  6. ^ a b c d e f Rey-Debove, Josette; Rey, Alain, eds. (2007), Le Petit Robert de la langue française, Paris: Le Robert
  7. ^ Littré, Émile (1873–1877), Dictionnaire de la langue française, 4 vols. and supplement, Paris: Hachette
  8. ^ Trésor de la langue française informatisé (2004), ATILF – CNRS & Université de Lorraine, atilf.fr/tlfi; electronic version of Imbs, Paul; Quemada, Bernard, eds. (1971–1994), Trésor de la langue française, Paris: CNRS / Gallimard
  9. ^ a b c d e Guilbert, Louis; Lagane, René; Niobey, Georges, eds. (1971–1978; 1989), Grand Larousse de la langue française, Paris: Larousse