buonanotte

Forms

buonanotte (interjection; also a feminine noun, invariable)^[1][2] It is also written separately, buona notte, which Devoto–Oli and Treccani call the more common spelling, and less often bonanotte.^[3][4][5]

Etymology

It is from Italian buona (“good”) + notte (“night”), the greeting written as a single word.^[6][5][4][1] The adjective is the feminine of buono, agreeing with the feminine noun.^[2][7]

Earliest recorded meaning

DELI and GRADIT date the word from Boccaccio's Decameron (1348–1353), both as a greeting on parting late or before going to bed and as a noun naming that greeting.^[8][6][9] At the end of the third day the king, judging that it is time to sleep, sends the company to bed “con la buona notte” (with a good-night).^[10]

Semantic evolution

As a noun it is used in dare la buonanotte, to say good night, and in il bacio della buonanotte, the good-night kiss.^[6][2][5] Colloquially it may be shortened to 'notte.^[6]

In familiar speech …e buonanotte closes a matter that is dropped or ended for good, and the longer buonanotte al secchio and buonanotte ai suonatori mean that it is all over and nothing more can be done.^[6][2][4][3] Said alone, Sì, buonanotte! expresses doubt or disappointment.^[6][3]

In popular usage a buonanotte was also a ceramic jug or cup set on a pierced stand with a small oil lamp inside, used in the past to keep herbal teas warm through the night.^[2][7][5]

Meanings

Interjection

1. good night, said on parting late in the evening or before going to bed: Buonanotte, ci vediamo domattina!^[6][3][2]
2. (colloquial) …e buonanotte: and that's the end of it, closing a matter that is dropped or settled for good: Gli ho restituito le chiavi e buonanotte.^[6][3][4]
3. (colloquial) Expressing scepticism or disappointment.^[6][3]

Noun

1. The good-night greeting itself, as in dare la buonanotte.^[6][3][5]
2. (popular, dated) A ceramic jug or cup on a pierced stand holding a small lamp, used to keep infusions warm overnight.^[2][7][5]

Related words

• buono
• notte
• buongiorno
• buonasera

Usage notes

Buonanotte al secchio and buonanotte ai suonatori (or sonatori) are fixed phrases for something that is finished and cannot be mended.^[2][7][3]

References

1. ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h Zingarelli, Nicola (2009), Lo Zingarelli 2010: vocabolario della lingua italiana, Bologna: Zanichelli
3. ^ a b c d e f g h 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 Vocabolario della lingua italiana Treccani (2011), Roma: Istituto della Enciclopedia Italiana
5. ^ a b c d e f Sabatini, Francesco; Coletti, Vittorio; Manfredini, Manuela (2026), Dizionario italiano Sabatini Coletti, digital ed., Milano: Sansoni / Rizzoli Larousse
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j De Mauro, Tullio (ed.) (2003), Grande dizionario italiano dell'uso, CD-ROM version 2.0, Torino: UTET
7. ^ a b c d Gabrielli, Aldo (2020), Grande dizionario italiano, digital ed., Milano: Hoepli
8. ^ Cortelazzo, Manlio; Zolli, Paolo (1999), Dizionario etimologico della lingua italiana, 2nd ed. by Manlio Cortelazzo and Michele A. Cortelazzo, Bologna: Zanichelli
9. ^ Tesoro della Lingua Italiana delle Origini (1997–), Opera del Vocabolario Italiano, CNR, Firenze; tlio.ovi.cnr.it
10. ^ Battaglia, Salvatore; Bàrberi Squarotti, Giorgio (1961–2002), Grande dizionario della lingua italiana, 21 vols., Torino: UTET; digital ed. Accademia della Crusca