bonnie
See also: Bonnie
English
editAlternative forms
editEtymology 1
editFrom Middle English *bonie (attested only rarely as bon, boun), probably from Old French bon, feminine bonne (“good”), from Latin bonus (“good”). See bounty, and compare bonus, boon.
Adjective
editbonnie (comparative bonnier or more bonnie, superlative bonniest or most bonnie)
- Merry; happy.
- Synonyms: frolicsome, cheerful, blithe, gay
- 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “Much Adoe about Nothing”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
- Be you blithe and bonny
Converting all your sounds of woe
Into Hey nonny, nonny.
- (Scotland, Geordie) Beautiful; pretty; attractive; handsome.
- 1774, “Handsome Nell”, Robert Burns (lyrics), published 1803:
- O once I lov'd a bonnie lass, / Aye, and I love her still
- (Scotland, Geordie) Fine, good (often used ironically).
- My bonnie friend, come over here.
Derived terms
editTranslations
editBeautiful; pretty; attractive
Etymology 2
editNoun
editbonnie (plural bonnies)
- (Northern Ireland, colloquial) A bonfire; chiefly one several storeys tall and burned to celebrate Eleventh Night.
References
edit- “bonnie”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
Anagrams
editScots
editAdjective
editbonnie (comparative mair bonnie, superlative maist bonnie)
- Alternative spelling of bonny
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms derived from Old French
- English terms derived from Latin
- English lemmas
- English adjectives
- English terms with quotations
- Scottish English
- Geordie English
- English terms with usage examples
- English clippings
- English nouns
- English countable nouns
- Northern Irish English
- English colloquialisms
- en:Appearance
- Scots lemmas
- Scots adjectives