benvenuto

Forms

benvenuto (feminine benvenuta, masculine plural benvenuti, feminine plural benvenute)^[1] Northern forms in the early texts include Old Italian benvegnudo and benvignudo.^[2] It is still sometimes written ben venuto.^[3][4][5]

Etymology

It is formed from Italian bene + venuto, the past participle of venire, from the phrase meaning “well come”.^{[6][3][4][7][2]} Wiktionary takes it back to the phrase Vulgar Latin *bene venūtus, perhaps a calque of a Frankish word continuing Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“a welcome guest or arrival”), the source of English welcome.^[1]

The first part is Latin bene (“well”), from an older ⟨*duenēd⟩ formed on the adjective that became bonus (“good”).^[1][8] Tommaseo notes that the word is also a given name of good omen, like Bonaventura and Bentivegna.^[9]

Earliest recorded meaning

The TLIO's first record is the Lombard poet Pietro da Bescapè in 1274, with the sense “welcome, gladly received”.^[2] Zingarelli dates the word before 1292, and GRADIT to Boccaccio's Decameron (1348–1353), where a woman greets Andreuccio with “O Andreuccio mio, tu sii il benvenuto” (My dear Andreuccio, you are welcome).^[7][6][9]

Semantic evolution

From the start the word was used both as a greeting and of a person gladly received, as in Pulci's Morgante: “Tu sii 'l benvenuto” (Be welcome).^[2][10][9] DELI dates the noun “person or thing well received” to Boccaccio (1353) and the greeting formula as an interjection to Salvator Rosa (before 1650).^[11] Benvenuto Cellini, on the birth of a son, said that the child was dear to him and welcome, and Tommaseo illustrates dare il benvenuto, to greet a new arrival, with Paolo Segneri.^[9]

The synonym ben arrivato is recorded from before 1625, and dare il benarrivato from 1891.^[12] Today benvenuto is also the welcome itself, as in a warm or a cold reception.^[3][6]

Timeline

• 1274 – Pietro da Bescapè uses the word in Lombardy.^[2]
• 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses il benvenuto in the Decameron.^[6][11]
• Before 1625 – The synonym ben arrivato is recorded.^[12]
• Before 1650 – Salvator Rosa uses benvenuto as an interjection of greeting.^[11]

Meanings

Interjection

1. welcome!, a greeting to someone who arrives, agreeing with the person greeted: Benvenuta in squadra, Giulia!^[6][3][7][1]

Noun

1. The greeting itself, chiefly in dare il benvenuto a qualcuno, to greet someone on arrival: Il sindaco ha dato il benvenuto ai nuovi abitanti.^[6][4][7][5]
2. A reception: Ci hanno riservato un benvenuto un po' freddo.^[3]
3. A person or thing gladly received, in essere il benvenuto: Con quel dolce sei la benvenuta!^[6][7][5]

Related words

• bene
• venire
• benarrivato
• English welcome

Usage notes

As a greeting it agrees with the person addressed: benvenuto, benvenuta, benvenuti, benvenute.^[1][5] Sabatini–Coletti gives benarrivato as a synonym.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
3. ^ a b c d e Devoto, Giacomo; Oli, Gian Carlo; Serianni, Luca; Trifone, Maurizio (2026), Nuovo Devoto–Oli: il vocabolario dell'italiano contemporaneo, digital ed., Milano: Le Monnier
4. ^ a b c d Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
5. ^ a b c d Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
6. ^ a b c d e f g De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
7. ^ a b c d e Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
8. ^ Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
9. ^ a b c d Tommaseo, Niccolò; Bellini, Bernardo (1861–1879), Dizionario della lingua italiana, 4 vols., Torino: UTET
10. ^ Battisti, Carlo; Alessio, Giovanni (1950–1957), Dizionario etimologico italiano, 5 vols., Firenze: Barbèra (reprint 1975)
11. ^ a b c Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
12. ^ a b Pfister, Max; Schweickard, Wolfgang; Prifti, Elton (eds.) (1979–), Lessico Etimologico Italiano, Wiesbaden: Reichert; online at lei-digitale.it, p. 5, 1011