bene Italian · revision 37479

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=late 12th century, Ritmo cassinese|origins=la bonus}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbɛ.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+ * Italy, Northern: /ˈbe.ne/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bene''' (comparative ''meglio'', superlative ''benissimo'' or ''ottimamente''); noun: ''bene'' ''m'' (plural ''beni'')^(Wiktionary)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ Before the word it qualifies it is usually cut to ''ben''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011) Old Italian also has ''be''^(DELI 1999) and ''benne'', and ''biene'' is found in Orvieto about 1400 and in Pietro Aretino in 1546.^(LEI|5, 1011)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|bene|t=well]], the adverb that belongs to [[la|bonus|t=good]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) In Latin it was often combined with a verb or adjective, and many of these compounds came into Italian as learned words: [[m|la|beneficium]], [[m|la|benevolus]], [[m|la|beneplacitum]] and the phrase [[m|la|volō|alt=bene velle]] “to wish well”, which lies behind [[voler bene]].^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The word lives on throughout Romance: [[fr|bien]], [[ca|bé]], [[es|bien]], [[pt|bem]], [[sc|bene]], [[fur|bèn]], [[rm|bain]], [[dlm|bin]] and [[ro|bine]].^(Nocentini 2010)^(LEI|5, 1011)^(REW 1935) In southern Italy, in Istria and in Aromanian the adverb was replaced by forms of “bonus”.^(DEI|484)^(REW 1935)

+

+ In the Duenos inscription the adjective still has the old form [[m|la|duenos]], and the adverb goes back to an ablative [[itc-pro|*duenēd]].^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan reconstructs [[itc-pro|*dweno-|t=good]] but considers the Indo-European origin unsolved; a link with [[ine-pro|*deuh₂-|t=to fit together]] meets difficulties of sound and form.^(de Vaan 2008) Nocentini traces both words to a root [[ine-pro|*dwen-]].^(Nocentini 2010)

+

+ Devoto explains why Italian has no diphthong here, although a stressed Latin short ⟨e⟩ usually gives ⟨ie⟩ (as in [[piede]]): the adverb leaned on the following word for its accent, and a form [[biene]] appears only sporadically.^(Devoto 1968|59)^(LEI|5, 1011)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The adverb is first recorded at the end of the 12th century in the ''Ritmo cassinese'', meaning “in a satisfactory way”; the sense “rightly, justly” follows before 1235 in a poem by C. Ghiberti.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003) As a noun it appears in Pisa in 1230–31 with the sense “property, possessions”, and before 1250 in Giacomo da Lentini as “what is good”.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The noun took over the role of Latin [[m|la|bonum]].^(GRADIT 2003) DEI notes that its senses (well-being, happiness, wealth, affection, reward) are already medieval and owe much to scholastic philosophy, and that Medieval Latin ''bene'' was used as a noun for “bonum” by Leo of Naples in the 10th century.^(DEI|484) Dante's ''Purgatorio'' has ''Lume v'è dato a bene e a malizia'' (“light is given you for good and for malice”).^(GDLI|2)

+

+ Boccaccio's ''Decameron'' (1348–53) has ''voler bene'' “to love”, ''bene'' “affection” and ''bene'' for the person loved; in popular speech the phrase took the place of Latin [[m|la|amō]].^(DELI 1999)^(DEI|484) The plural ''beni'' “possessions” gave legal and economic terms: ''beni immobili'' (1554, Bandello), ''beni mobili'' (1735) and ''beni di consumo'' (1930).^(DELI 1999)

+

+ Italian kept the Latin habit of strengthening an adjective or participle with ''ben'', as in ''bendisposto'' (Dante) and ''beneducato'' (1838).^(DELI 1999) Some later formations follow French: ''beninteso'' in the sense “provided that” echoes ''bien entendu'', ''benportante'' and ''benarrivato'' were criticised in 1855 as French, and the adjective in ''gente bene'' “upper-class people” (1963) is modelled on ''des gens bien''.^(DELI 1999) The interjection ''bene!'' is recorded in Tommaseo's dictionary in 1865, and German took it as an exclamation of approval.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * Late 12th century – First record, in the ''Ritmo cassinese''.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1230–1231 – The noun “possessions” in a Pisan memorandum.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1250 – Giacomo da Lentini uses the noun “what is good”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses ''voler bene'' “to love” and ''bene'' “affection”.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1554 – ''Beni immobili'' “real estate” in Matteo Bandello.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1865 – The interjection is recorded by Tommaseo and Bellini.^(DELI 1999)^(DIFIT)

+ * 1930 – ''Beni di consumo'' “consumer goods” in the ''Enciclopedia italiana''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1963 – The adjective in ''gente bene'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adverb===

+ # [[m|en|well]], rightly: in a correct or fitting way, by a moral or practical standard: ''si è comportato bene con tutti''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # [[m|en|carefully]], thoroughly: ''chiudi bene la porta''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Pleasantly, comfortably: ''in quell'albergo abbiamo dormito bene''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # In good [[m|en|health]]: ''dopo la cura sta di nuovo bene''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+ # ''(intensifier)'' Quite, really; before a number, as many as: ''è ben diverso'', ''ha aspettato ben tre ore''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # As a discourse marker, to begin or close a topic: ''bene, cominciamo''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Adjective===

+ # ''(invariable)'' Upper-class, [[m|en|posh]]: ''gente bene''.^(DELI 1999)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ===Interjection===

+ # Good!, [[m|en|fine]]!: an exclamation of approval or satisfaction.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # The [[m|en|good]]: what is morally right: ''il bene e il male''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Benefit, [[m|en|welfare]]: ''il bene comune''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # [[m|en|affection]], love, especially in ''voler bene'' “to love, be fond of”.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # A loved person: ''il mio bene''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Peace, quiet: ''non ha un momento di bene''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(usually plural)'' [[m|en|property]], possessions: ''ha lasciato tutti i suoi beni ai nipoti''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # ''(economics)'' A good: what satisfies a need, as in ''beni di consumo''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(DELI 1999)

+ # ''(law)'' A thing that is the object of a right: ''bene pubblico''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[benché]]

+ * [[bensì]]

+ * [[ebbene]]

+ * [[beh]]

+ * [[dabbene]]

+ * [[perbene]]

+ * [[benone]]

+ * [[benino]]

+ * [[benissimo]]

+ * [[benessere]]

+ * [[benestante]]

+ * [[benvenuto]]

+ * [[bentornato]]

+ * [[benpensante]]

+ * [[beninteso]]

+ * [[bendisposto]]

+ * [[beneducato]]

+ * [[benaccetto]]

+ * [[benarrivato]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[buono]]

+ * [[bello]]

+ * [[benedire]]

+ * [[beneficio]]

+ * [[benefattore]]

+ * [[benevolo]]

+ * [[benigno]]

+ * [[la|bene]]

+ * [[fr|bien]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ In Tuscany and the south the vowel is open, /ɛ/; in northern Italy it is closed, /e/.^(Wiktionary) ''Va bene'' means “all right, agreed”, and familiar speech shortens it to ''va be''’ and, in Rome, ''vabbè''.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026) Common phrases are ''bene o male'' “one way or another” and ''di bene in meglio'' “better and better”, often ironic.^(Zingarelli 2010)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}