bem-vindo

Forms

bem-vindo (feminine bem-vinda, masculine plural bem-vindos, feminine plural bem-vindas)^[1] Vieira spells it as one word, bemvindo;^[2][1] Wiktionary lists benvindo as an alternative form.^[2][1]

Etymology

It is formed from Portuguese bem (“well”) + vindo (“come”), the past participle of vir.^[3][1][4] Wiktionary carries the phrase back to Vulgar Latin *bene venītus and takes it to be a calque of Frankish *willikumō, from Proto-Germanic *wiljakwemô (“a welcome guest”), the source also of English welcome; the Frankish first element, “desired”, was understood as “well”.^[1]

It has parallels in Galician benvido, Spanish bienvenido and Asturian bienveníu.^[1][5] The Spanish word is likewise explained as a compound of bien and venido.^[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Houaiss dates the adjective to the 14th century, from Cunha's index of medieval Portuguese.^[4]

Semantic evolution

The first sense is “who has arrived safely”, then “received with pleasure on arrival”.^[4][6] Vieira defines it as “well seen, well received” and as the greeting given to one who arrives from outside, and notes that it is also used as a noun.^[2] The old Caldas Aulete has Bem-vindo seja “welcome be he”.^[3]

Houaiss adds the sense “accepted in a group or community” and a jocular informal noun, “one who pays, who gives money”, which Michaelis marks as slang.^[4][7] As an interjection it greets guests and visitors.^[4]

Timeline

• 14th century – first record.^[4]
• 1871–1874 – Vieira enters bemvindo as an adjective, a greeting and a noun.^[2]

Meanings

Adjective

1. Received with pleasure; welcome: Os amigos dos meus filhos são sempre bem-vindos cá em casa.^[4][8][1]
2. Who has arrived safely, in good health.^[4][6]
3. Accepted within a group or community.^[4]

Noun

1. (informal, jocular) A person who pays, who hands out money.^[4][7]

Interjection

1. Welcome!, said to greet guests or visitors on their arrival.^[4][3][1]

Related words

• boas-vindas
• Galician benvido
• Spanish bienvenido

Usage notes

The noun boas-vindas (feminine plural) is the welcome itself, as in dar as boas-vindas a alguém; the singular boa-vinda is less used.^[9] Aurélio distinguishes the adjective from the personal name Benvindo.^[6]

References

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d Vieira, Frei Domingos (1871–1874), Grande Diccionario Portuguez ou Thesouro da lingua portugueza, 5 vols., Porto: Ernesto Chardron e Bartholomeu H. de Moraes, p. 1, 754
3. ^ a b c Aulete, Francisco Júlio Caldas, Dicionário contemporâneo da língua portuguesa (1st ed. 1881), online as Aulete Digital, Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon, https://aulete.com.br, p. s.v. bem-vindo
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. bem-vindo
5. ^ a b Real Academia Española; Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española (2014–), Diccionario de la lengua española, 23rd ed., online version 23.8, https://dle.rae.es, p. s.v. bienvenido
6. ^ a b c Ferreira, Aurélio Buarque de Holanda, Novo dicionário Aurélio da língua portuguesa, digital edition, p. s.v. bem-vindo
7. ^ a b Michaelis: Moderno Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa, São Paulo: Melhoramentos (online as Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa, https://michaelis.uol.com.br), p. s.v. bem-vindo
8. ^ Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa, Lisboa: Priberam Informática, https://dicionario.priberam.org, p. s.v. bem-vindo
9. ^ Houaiss, Antônio; Villar, Mauro de Salles (2001), Dicionário Houaiss da língua portuguesa, Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, p. s.v. boas-vindas