bonus Latin · revision 743

+ ==Pronunciation==

+ * IPA (Classical): [ˈbɔ.nʊs]^(Wiktionary)

+ * IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈbɔː.nus]^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Forms==

+ '''bonus''' (feminine bona, neuter bonum, comparative melior, superlative optimus or optumus, adverb bene); first/second-declension adjective^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Etymology==

+ It comes from Old Latin [[m|la|duonus]] and earlier [[m|la|duenos]], [[inh|itc-pro|*dweno-|t=good]], whose further origin is uncertain.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Wiktionary) De Vaan tentatively reconstructs [[ine-pro|*duh₂-eno-]];^(de Vaan 2008) other proposals include roots meaning “to do” or “to show favour”,^(Wiktionary)^(Etymonline) and the OLD compares [[sa|दुवस्|tr=dúvas-|t=gift, honour]].^(OLD 2012) The change of /dw/ to /b/ is the same as in [[bellum]] from [[m|la|duellum]].^(Wiktionary)^(Lewis & Short 1879) The adverb [[bene]] and the adjective [[bellus]] “pretty”, originally a diminutive, belong to the same stem.^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ Within Italic, compare [[xfa|duenom|t=good]].^(de Vaan 2008)

+

+ ==Earliest recorded meaning==

+ The archaic form ''duenos'' appears in the Duenos inscription,^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010) which Köbler places between the 7th and the late 3rd century BC, and ''duonus'' occurs in the Carmen Saliare and in Livius Andronicus.^(de Vaan 2008)^(OLD 2012) In Ennius it means [[m|en|good]] at something, as of a “good encourager”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ ==Semantic evolution==

+ The adjective covered every kind of goodness: skill in a task, moral virtue (''vir bonus''), kindness, and the favour of gods.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) In politics ''boni'' were the loyal or conservative citizens, and also men of wealth and standing.^(OLD 2012) It meant sound or reliable of troops and security, genuine of coins, and healthy of the body and mind, and ''bona aetas'' was the prime of life.^(OLD 2012) Many set phrases used it: ''bona fides'' “good faith”, ''bonae artes'' “liberal studies”, ''bono animo esse'' “to be of good cheer”.^(OLD 2012)

+

+ The neuter ''[[bonum]]'' meant a good thing and, in the plural, property.^(OLD 2012)^(Niermeyer 1976) In medieval Latin ''boni homines'' were people qualified to serve as witnesses or assessors in court.^(Niermeyer 1976) English took ''bonus'' as a noun from Stock Exchange slang in 1773.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Timeline==

+ * 7th–3rd century BC – The form ''duenos'' appears in the Duenos inscription.^(de Vaan 2008)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 204–169 BC – Ennius uses it of a good encourager.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * c. 250–184 BC – Plautus contrasts good men and bad.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * 81–43 BC – Cicero uses ''boni'' of the loyal citizens.^(OLD 2012)^(Köbler 2010)

+ * Middle Ages – ''boni homines'' are qualified witnesses or assessors.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+ * 1773 – English borrows it as [[en|bonus]], an extra payment.^(Etymonline)

+

+ ==Meanings==

+ ===Adjective===

+ # [[m|en|good|alt=Good]] at something, competent, skilled.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Morally good, [[m|en|virtuous]], ''vir bonus'': a good man.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879)

+ # Kind, gracious; of gods, propitious.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Politically loyal, (plural as noun) the loyalists; men of standing.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Reliable, sound; of coins, genuine.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''bona fides'': [[m|en|good faith]].^(OLD 2012)

+ # Good of its kind, suitable, effective; of weather, fine.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Healthy, strong, ''bona aetas'': the prime of life.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Pleasant to the senses; pretty.^(OLD 2012)

+ # Favourable, lucky; of omens, auspicious.^(OLD 2012)

+ # (of arguments, advice) Sound, valid.^(OLD 2012)

+ # (of amounts) Considerable.^(OLD 2012)

+ # ''(Medieval Latin)'' ''boni homines'': people qualified as witnesses or assessors.^(Niermeyer 1976)

+

+ ===Noun===

+ # A good or brave man, (plural) the loyal citizens, the upper classes.^(OLD 2012)^(Wiktionary)

+

+ ==Word family==

+ * [[bellus]]

+ * [[benignus]]

+ * [[bonātus]]

+ * [[bonitās]]

+ * [[bonum]]

+ * [[bonuscula]]

+ * [[perbonus]]

+

+ ==Related words==

+ * [[bene]]

+ * [[beō]]

+ * [[en|bonus]]

+ * [[en|bounty]]

+ * [[en|bonanza]]

+

+ ==Usage notes==

+ The comparative ''[[melior]]'' and the superlative ''[[optimus]]'' come from other stems.^(OLD 2012)^(Lewis & Short 1879) The opposite is ''[[malus]]''.^(Georges 1913)

+

+ ==References==

+ {{reflist}}