Etymologically
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benvenuto

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Pronunciation

  • /ben.veˈnu.to/, /ˌbɛn.veˈnu.to/[1]

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]

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