buono Italian · revision 37588

+ {{infobox|confidence=established|formation=inherited|attested=1186, Fabriano charter (''bonu'')|origins=itc-pro *dweno-}}

+

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * /ˈbwɔ.no/^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''buono''' (feminine buona, masculine plural buoni, feminine plural buone, superlative buonissimo, diminutive (informal) bonìno or buonìno or (archaic) bonétto, augmentative (informal) bonóne)^(Wiktionary)

+ Before a vowel and most consonants the masculine singular is shortened to ''buon'' (''buon amico'', ''buon lavoro''); the feminine is elided to ''buon’'' before a vowel.^(Zingarelli 2010) The popular and Roman form is ''bono''.^(Devoto–Oli 2026)^(Treccani 2011)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It is [[inh|la|bonus|t=good]].^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary) It continues in the whole Romance area: [[fr|bon]], [[oc|bon]], [[ca|bo]], [[es|bueno]], [[pt|bom]], [[sc|bónu]], [[fur|bon]] and [[ro|bun]].^(LEI|6, 917)^(Nocentini 2010)^(REW 1935) The short stressed /o/ of Latin became the Tuscan diphthong /wɔ/, written ⟨uo⟩; the form ⟨bono⟩ reflects a later, 18th-century Florentine development that the literary language did not take up.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026) South of a line from Gaeta to Teramo the adjective, declined as usual, also does the work of the adverb [[bene]].^(LEI|6, 917)^(DEI)

+

+ Old Latin wrote the word [[m|la|duenos]] (in the Duenos inscription) and [[m|la|duonus]], from [[itc-pro|*dweno-]]; the adverb [[m|la|bene|t=well]] and the diminutive [[m|la|bellus|t=pretty]] are formed on it.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary)^(DEI) Its further origin is unsolved: DELI and Nocentini connect it with a Sanskrit word for “homage”, and the DEI and Nocentini with [[grc|δύναμαι|tr=dúnamai|t=I am able]], but de Vaan finds none of the proposed roots convincing.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(DEI)^(de Vaan 2008) The Romance languages kept the Latin comparative [[m|la|melior]] but lost the inherited superlative [[m|la|optimus]].^(DEI)

+

+ The noun ⟨buono⟩ “voucher” is the adjective used as a noun after French [[m|fr|bon du Trésor|t=Treasury bond]], from a phrase of the type “good for …”;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020) DELI dates the French model to 1755 and Nocentini to 1773, and Nocentini and GRADIT give it a numbered entry of its own.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010)^(GRADIT 2003)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The first record is the phrase ''bonu pi(n)gnu'' “a valid pledge” in a Fabriano charter of 1186.^(DELI 1999) The moral sense, “in keeping with what is right”, is in Guittone d'Arezzo before 1294: ''Ahi, lasso, che li boni e li malvagi / omini tutti hanno preso acordanza'' (“alas, good and wicked men have all agreed”).^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)^(GDLI|2, 442)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ Most of the modern senses are already in the 14th century: “kind, courteous” and “useful, favourable” in Dante, “gentle, quiet” and “pleasant” in Boccaccio.^(DELI 1999) Used as a noun, ''il buono'' “what is good” goes back to Guittone and “a good person” to Iacopo da Léona;^(DELI 1999) ''il buono'' for fine weather is in Giusti in 1844.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ The adjective formed many greetings and compounds: ''buondì'', ''buongiorno'' and ''buonanotte'' are in Boccaccio, ''buonasera'' in 1556, ''buongusto'' before 1497 and ''buonsenso'' in 1611;^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) ''buonsenso'', ''di buon grado'' and the voucher sense follow French models.^(DELI 1999)^(Nocentini 2010) ''Buono'' “voucher, coupon” is recorded in 1796 in a collection of public notices, and ''buono del tesoro'' “Treasury bond” in 1851.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ English slang took ''bona'' “good” into Polari, from Italian or Spanish.^(DIFIT)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 1186 – ''Bonu pi(n)gnu'' “a valid pledge” in a Fabriano charter.^(DELI 1999)

+ * Before 1294 – Guittone d'Arezzo uses ''bono'' in the moral sense.^(DELI 1999)^(GRADIT 2003)

+ * 1348–1353 – Boccaccio uses ''buonanotte'' and ''buondì''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1556 – ''Buonasera'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1611 – Paolo Sarpi uses ''buonsenso''.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1796 – The noun ⟨buono⟩ “voucher” is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+ * 1851 – ''Buono del tesoro'' is recorded.^(DELI 1999)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|good]] in the moral sense, upright: ''ha sempre agito con buone intenzioni''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Kind-hearted, generous: ''è una persona buona''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Calm, quiet, [[m|en|well-behaved]], of children and animals: ''il cane è stato buono tutto il viaggio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Kind, friendly: ''è sempre stata buona con i vicini''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # Of good quality, fine: ''un buon olio''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)

+ # Kept for special occasions: ''il servizio di piatti buono''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # Respected: ''il buon nome della ditta''.^(GRADIT 2003)

+ # Able, [[m|en|skilled]] at something: ''un buon falegname''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)

+ # Valid, still usable: ''la garanzia è ancora buona''.^(Sabatini–Coletti 2026)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|tasty]]: ''questa torta è buonissima''.^(Wiktionary)^(Zingarelli 2010)

+ # Of weather or the sea, fine, calm.^(Wiktionary)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # Good person; in films and stories, the good guy: ''i buoni e i cattivi''.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)

+ # [[m|en|voucher]], [[m|en|coupon]]: a document entitling the holder to goods, a service or money: ''un buono sconto''.^(GRADIT 2003)^(Devoto–Oli 2026)

+ # ''(finance)'' Bond: ''buono del tesoro'', Treasury bond.^(DELI 1999)^(Wiktionary)^(Gabrielli 2020)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[buonanotte]]

+ * [[buonasera]]

+ * [[buongiorno]]

+ * [[buondì]]

+ * [[buonsenso]]

+ * [[buonumore]]

+ * [[buonafede]]

+ * [[buonanima]]

+ * [[buoncostume]]

+ * [[buongusto]]

+ * [[buongustaio]]

+ * [[buontempone]]

+ * [[bonaccione]]

+ * [[imbonire]]

+ * [[rabbonire]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bene]]

+ * [[bontà]]

+ * [[migliore]]

+ * [[ottimo]]

+ * [[bello]]

+ * [[bonus]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The comparative is ''più buono'' or ''migliore'' and the superlative ''buonissimo'' or ''ottimo''.^(Zingarelli 2010) The full form is used before ⟨s⟩ plus consonant, ⟨z⟩, ⟨gn⟩ and ⟨ps⟩ (''buono studente''), though ''buon'' is common there too in speech.^(Zingarelli 2010) Set phrases include ''alla buona'' (simply, informally), ''con le buone'' (gently), ''a buon mercato'' (cheap) and ''buono a nulla'' (good-for-nothing).^(GRADIT 2003)^(Wiktionary)^(Treccani 2011)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}