bonnie

See also: Bonnie

English

Alternative forms

• bonny
• bonie (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From 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

bonnie (comparative bonnier or more bonnie, superlative bonniest or most bonnie)

1. 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.

2. (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

3. (Scotland, Geordie) Fine, good (often used ironically).

   My bonnie friend, come over here.

Translations

Gay; merry; frolicsome; cheerful; blithe

• Danish: frejdig
• Polish: wesoły (pl) m
• Swedish: ljuv (sv)

Beautiful; pretty; attractive

• Czech: hezký (cs), pěkný (cs)
• Irish: dathúil, dóighiúil, slachtmhar
• Polish: piękny (pl) m
• Russian: краси́вый (ru) (krasívyj), ми́лый (ru) (mílyj)

Etymology 2

Clipping of bonfire.

Noun

bonnie (plural bonnies)

1. (Northern Ireland, colloquial) Bonfire; chiefly one several storeys tall burnt to celebrate Eleventh Night.

References

• “bonnie”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.

Anagrams

• Bonine, bone-in

Scots

Alternative forms

• bonny

Adjective

bonnie (comparative mair bonnie, superlative maist bonnie)

1. handsome; beautiful; pretty; attractively lively and graceful
   • 1714, John Gay, Friday; or, the Dirge‎^[1]:

     Till bonny Susan sped a-cross the plain.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 1786, Robert Burns, Farewell to the Banks of Ayr:

     Far from the bonnie banks of Ayr.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

References

• “bonnie” in the Dictionary of the Scots Language, Edinburgh: Scottish Language Dictionaries.
• Durham & Tyneside Dialect Group / Word Lists / SCOTLAND C18/2 - A SELECTION FROM BURNS' VOCABULARY