Putting In a Good Word (bon-Latin root for "good"; bene-Latin root for "well")

Just as Latin vocabulary is the heart of the vocabularies of the Romance languages
(French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and Romanian), Latin grammar is the basis for
their grammatical structures. Throughout the centuries, English vocabulary and grammar have been strongly influenced by Latin and by the Romance languages,   
especially French. In Latin grammar, converting an adjective, which usually told "what kind," into an adverb, which told "in what way" involved changing the suffix. In the previous post, "malus" followed that pattern; therefore, it came into English as one root, "mal," which means "bad" or "badly." The adjective "good," however, is irregular in Latin and in English; i.e., in forming the adverb it doesn't follow the pattern but instead becomes a wholly different word. The Latin "bonus" becomes "bene," and the English "good" becomes "well." (The adjective "well," which means "healthy," is an entirely different word from the adverb "well," which means "in a good way," and has no relevance here.) This post will  focus on two word parts: "bon," from the Latin adjective "bonus," meaning "good," and "bene," from the Latin adverb "bene," meaning "well." A word which contains "bene" or "bon" has a positive connotation.


The following English words are made from the root "bene," meaning "well":

BENEDICTINE  (ben uh DIK tin) - noun - a member of the religious Order of St. Benedict
Her uncle is a BENEDICTINE priest.

BENEDICTION  (ben uh DIK shun) - noun - literally "good saying" - speaking well, a blessing, an invocation of a blessing
The congregation filed from the church after the BENEDICTION.

BENEFACTION  (ben uh FAK shun) - noun - doing good, good deed, gift for a charitable purpose
The philanthropist was known for his frequent BENEFACTIONS.

BENEFACTOR  (BEN uh fak ter) - noun - literally "one who does good" - a person who does something good, one who gives help or financial assistance
Many alumni of the school were generous BENEFACTORS.

BENEFICE  (BEN uh fis) - noun - favor, a financial gift to a priest
The parishioner gave her pastor a BENEFICE.

BENEFICENCE  (ben EF ih sens) - noun - doing good through kindness or charity
The BENEFICENCE of its alumni allowed the school to give many scholarships.

BENEFICIAL  (ben uh FISH ul) - adjective - advantageous, having a good or helpful effect, productive of good
Eating fruits and vegetables is BENEFICIAL to your health.
Rest is usually BENEFICIAL to a person suffering from a cold.

BENEFICIARY  (ben uh FISH ee air ee) - noun - a person who receives a benefit or advantage, as from a will or an insurance policy
She was surprised to be named the BENEFICIARY of her aunt's will.
We are the BENEFICIARIES of the wisdom and foresight of our founding fathers.

BENEFIT  (BEN uh fit) - noun or verb - an advantage, something that is helpful or profitable, to provide help or profit
The proceeds from the auction were used to BENEFIT a children's charity.
Scientists can find no BENEFIT in some nutritional supplements.
His new job has excellent fringe BENEFITS.

BENEVOLENCE  (buh NEV uh lens) - noun- wishing well, an inclination to do good, a kind or charitable act
They were grateful for the BENEVOLENCE of their neighbors.
He was admired for his BENEVOLENCE toward the poor.

BENEVOLENT  (buh NEV uh lent) - adjective - literally "wishing well" - wishing someone well, inclined to show kindness and good will toward others
The manager's BENEVOLENT attitude endeared him to his staff.
She often recalls her grandfather's wise words and BENEVOLENT disposition.

BENIGN  (buh NINE) - adjective - having a gentle and kind attitude or disposition, not cancerous or life-threatening, harmless
She showed  a BENIGN acceptance of her children's misbehavior.
He was relieved to hear that the tumor was BENIGN.
Scientists are always looking for a source of energy that is ecologically BENIGN.

NOTA BENE  (NO tuh BEE nee) - verb and adverb - observe well, take notice, note well, pay attention - a command used in memos and abbreviated as N.B.



The following words are derived from the root "bon," meaning "good":

BONA FIDE  (BO nuh fide) - adjective - Latin - in good faith, genuine, sincere, legitimate, without fraud, done without intent to deceive - opposite of "mala fide," meaning "in bad faith"
We need to find a BONA FIDE expert to advise us.

BONANZA  (buh NAN zuh) - noun - a rich vein of ore, something that yields unexpected wealth
The company they acquired turned out to be a BONANZA.

BON APPETIT (BON ah puh tee) - French - Have a good meal!
Julia Child closed every show with the words "BON APPETIT."

BONBON  (BON bon) - noun - a small candy
Would you like some of these delicious BONBONS?

BONBONNIERE  (bon bon YAIR) - noun - French - a fancy dish or box for bonbons
There was an array of BONBONNIERES on the sideboard.

BONHOMIE  (BON uh MEE) - noun - French - a genial good nature, good-heartedness, affability
His natural BONHOMIE made him popular with his peers.

BON MOT  (bon MO) - noun - pl. bons mots - French -  a witty saying,  clever remark,  repartee, memorable statement
His BON MOT was quoted repeatedly in the press.
His admirers savored his every BON MOT.

BONUS  (BO nus) - noun - a reward, an extra benefit, extra pay
Each worker was given a BONUS at Christmas.
We enjoyed the trip to Paris; the evening cruise on the Seine was a special BONUS.

BON VIVANT  (bo vee VAH) - noun - pl. BONS VIVANTS - French - a lover of good living, especially fine food and wine
People in Las Vegas remember Dean Martin for being a BON VIVANT.
The newspaper's food critic is known in town to be a BON VIVANT.
His income was not large enough to support his BON VIVANT lifestyle.

BON VOYAGE  (bo vwuh YAHZH) - noun - French -  Have a good trip!
BON VOYAGE! Enjoy every minute!

BOON  ( BOON) - noun - a benefit, blessing, gift, favor
Internet shopping is a BOON to those who don't like malls.
Your generous donation was a BOON to our campaign.
The wide range of anesthetics is a BOON to modern surgery.

BOUNTEOUS  (BOUN tee us) - adjective - giving freely, freely bestowed
We enjoyed the BOUNTEOUS feast laid before us.
The once-BOUNTEOUS fruit trees were destroyed by the storm.
His fans showered him with a BOUNTEOUS feast of attention.

BOUNTIFUL  (BOUN tuh ful) - adjective - plentiful, generous, munificent
The pilgrims gave thanks for a BOUNTIFUL harvest.
Saudi Arabia acquired its wealth from BOUNTIFUL oil fields.
The trout catch was BOUNTIFUL this year.
The BOUNTIFUL rewards provided by his work were a powerful incentive.

BOUNTY  (BOUN tee) - noun - a reward, a gift, generosity, payment for capture of a criminal, yield
We were thankful for the BOUNTY harvested from our garden.
The family enjoyed summer's BOUNTY of plump tomatoes. 
They watched a program about BOUNTY hunters.

PRO BONO  (PRO BO no) - adjective or adverb - shortened version of the Latin phrase "pro bono publico," which means "for the public good" - describes work that lawyers do for the poor, for which they charge no fee
He takes on many PRO BONO cases for his law firm.
I'll defend your son PRO BONO.

Announcing the Latin Root "Nunci"

A reader wanted to know why there was an "o" before the "u" in "pronounce" but not before the "u" in "pronunciation." This post is my response to that question.

The word part "nunci" comes from the Latin verb "nuntiare," which means "to declare" or "to proclaim." As time passed and the Romance languages evolved from Latin, the "t" in "nuntiare" gradually changed to a "c." The "o" in "nounce," added by the French, is dropped when Latin suffixes are added, but kept with the suffixes "ment" or "er." Words which contain the roots "nunci" and "nounce" are related to the act of declaring or proclaiming.
The following words come from the Latin root "nunci":

ANNOUNCE  (uh NOUNS) - verb - to make known publicly
      They will ANNOUNCE the winners tonight.

ANNOUNCEMENT (uh NOUNS ment) - noun - information given to the public
     At what time will the ANNOUNCEMENT be made?

ANNOUNCER  (uh NOUN ser) - noun - someone who makes knowledge public
     The ANNOUNCER spoke without a microphone.

ANNUNCIATION  (uh nun see AY shun) - noun - the act of announcing, the
making known to Mary by the angel Gabriel that she would be the mother of Jesus
     The ANNUNCIATION is described in the Gospel of Luke.

DENOUNCE  (dee NOUNS) - verb - accuse publicly, inform against, censure, condemn
     The new play was DENOUNCED by the critics.

DENUNCIATION  (dee nun see AY shun) - noun - act of informing against, act of censure, act of accusing publicly, public condemnation
      The dissidents wrote a vigorous DENUNCIATION of the government.

DENUNCIATORY  (dee NUN see uh tor ee) - adjective - characterized by informing
   against or condemning publicly
       His DENUNCIATORY speech against the leaders inflamed the crowd.

ENUNCIATE  (ee NUN see ate) - verb - to pronounce carefully
      She can't ENUNCIATE clearly because she just had dental work.
      Sometimes important lines in a play aren't heard because actors don't 
         ENUNCIATE.                                                   
                        
ENUNCIATION  (ee nun see AY shun) - noun - careful pronunciation, articulation
     Tongue twisters are helpful in improving ENUNCIATION.

NUNCIATE  (NUN  see ate) - noun -  messenger,  announcer
      The Pope communicated with the bishops through his NUNCIATE.

NUNCIATIVE  (NUN see ay tiv) - adjective - conveying messages, making an
announcement
       They'll be making a NUNCIATIVE statement shortly.

NUNCIATURE  (NUN see uh chur) - noun - the office of the nuncio, embassy of
the Vatican, diplomatic post or mission
     There are Catholic NUNCIATURES in almost every country.

NUNCIO  (NUN see oh) - noun - messenger, papal representative, ecclesiastical diplomatic title, envoy
     That priest served as NUNCIO to Germany

PRONOUNCE  (pro NOUNS) - verb - declare, articulate, say in a particular manner,
declare officially
     Try to PRONOUNCE your words distinctly.
     She finds French words hard to PRONOUNCE.
     I now PRONOUNCE you man and wife.
     He was PRONOUNCED dead upon arrival at the hospital.
    The judge will PRONOUNCE sentence today.

PRONOUNCEMENT (pro NOUNS ment) - noun - declaration, formal announcement, authoritative statement, opinion, decision
     The committee made no PRONOUNCEMENT in the matter.
     The CEO made an important PRONOUNCEMENT on a change in company policy.

PRONUNCIATION  (pro nun see AY shun) - noun - articulation; utterance; manner in which a word is uttered; way in which a word, syllable, or letter is sounded
      Which pronunciation of "tomato" do you prefer?

RENOUNCE  (ree NOUNS) - verb - retract, revoke, abdicate, give up formally, reject, disown, repudiate
       He RENOUNCED his old way of living.
       Many of the dictator's former supporters have RENOUNCED him.
       When she became a citizen of Italy, she RENOUNCED her American citizenship.
       After visiting his doctor, he RENOUNCED smoking.
       The monk RENOUNCED his worldly possessions.
       He RENOUNCED his claim to the throne.
       
RENUNCIATION (ree nun see AY shun) - noun - the act of giving up or putting aside voluntarily, giving up by formal declaration, relinquishing something, ascetic self-denial
       The nun's vows included RENUNCIATION of all wealth.
       The settlement required a RENUNCIATION of all claims to compensation.

Bad Words! (mal - Latin root for "bad")

The Latin word part "mal" means "bad," "badly," or "evil," and words made from "mal" have negative overtones.
The following English words contain "mal":

DISMAL (DIZ mul) - adjective - causing misery or gloom (from the Latin for "bad
days," which were marked on calendars)
      Because of the DISMAL reports, the managers devised a new strategy.

GRAND MAL (grahn mahl) - noun or adjective - the severe form of an epileptic seizure (from the French for "great sickness")
       The patient suffered a GRAND MAL seizure.

MALADJUSTED (MAL uh jus tid) - adjective - badly adjusted, unable to adjust to the stresses of daily life, out of harmony with one's environment
    The MALADJUSTED child is being treated by a therapist.

MALADROIT (MAL uh droit) - adjective - awkward, clumsy, unskilled, inept  (from Latin by way of French)
     Delicate artwork is difficult for a person who is MALADROIT.
     She was too MALADROIT to be a .good waitress.

MALADY (MAL uh dee) - noun - a bad condition of the body or mind, sickness, disease
      Asthma is a chronic MALADY.

MALAISE (muh LAZE) - noun - a vague feeling of uneasiness or illness (from Latin by way of French)
      Sometimes a seizure is preceded by a feeling of MALAISE.

MALAPROPISM (MAL uh prop iz um) - noun - a humorously inappropriate use of words
This word comes from Mrs. Malaprop, an eighteenth-century comedy character
who was known for such mistakes.
      A familiar MALAPROPISM is "May I sew you to a sheet?"
      His MALAPROPISMS produced howls of laughter.

MALAPROPOS (MAL ap ruh po) - adjective - inappropriate, not fitting ( from Latin by way of French)
       We were embarrassed by her MALAPROPOS behavior.

MALARIA (mal AIR ee uh) - noun - a disease carried by a mosquito, which was at first thought to be carried by bad air
       A protozoan parasite carried by the anopheles mosquito causes MALARIA.

MALCONTENT (MAL con tent) - adjective - dissatisfied, ill-tempered, rebellious
                                                       - noun - a person who is dissatisfied
        People ignored his complaints because he was known to be a MALCONTENT.
     
MAL DE MER (MAL duh MAIR) - noun - seasickness (from Latin by way of French)
        She declined the invitation to join the cruise because of her fear of 
        developing MAL DE MER.

MALEDICTION (MAL uh dik shun) - noun - literally "evil saying" - saying something bad, a curse
      As the criminal was led away by the police, he shouted angry MALEDICTIONS. 

MALEFACTOR (MAL uh fak ter) - noun - literally "one who does evil" - someone who does something bad, one who commits an evil deed, a criminal, an evildoer
     The police arrested the MALEFACTOR.

MALEFICENT (muh LEF uh sent) - adjective - causing something bad or harmful, having a harmful influence
       Alcohol has a MALEFICENT  effect on driving. 

MALEVOLENT (muh LEV uh lent) - adjective - literally "wishing evil" -  wishing something bad to happen to others, showing deep and strong ill will, having an evil intention, spiteful
       MALEVOLENT people often speak hurtfully to others.
       Hurricanes and tornadoes are MALEVOLENT forces of nature.

MALFEASANCE (mal FEE zens) - noun - evil conduct or wrongdoing, especially committed by a public official
      The senator was convicted of MALFEASANCE.

MALFUNCTION (mal FUNK shun) - noun - a failure to work properly (also a verb)
       The plane turned back because of an engine MALFUNCTION.

MALICE (MAL iss) - noun - ill will, deliberate intent to do harm
       Her comment was inappropriate, but it was spoken without MALICE.
      The act was not a joke; it was done out of MALICE.

MALICIOUS (muh LISH us) - adjective - characterized by evil intent, wanting to hurt another, spiteful
       The boy may be mischievous, but he is not MALICIOUS.
       She was the victim of MALICIOUS gossip.

MALIFEROUS (mal IF er us) - adjective - carrying disease, producing evil
        Some insects are MALIFEROUS.

MALIGN (muh LINE) - verb - to lie about, to slander, to defame, to speak ill of
        Gossip and rumors can MALIGN a person's reputation.
      
MALIGNANT (muh LIG nant) - adjective- causing harm, producing a bad outcome, cancerous
       She was relieved to learn that her tumor was not MALIGNANT.

MALINGERER (mal IN jer er) - noun - someone who pretends to be sick to avoid work
       If she's absent today she must be really ill; she is no malingerer.

MALNOURISHED (mal NUH rishd) - adjective - suffering from bad nutrition
       The prisoners were MALNOURISHED but otherwise unharmed.
       
MALNUTRITION (mal noo TRISH un) - noun - bad nutrition, the lack of nutrients needed for good health, a condition caused by a bad diet
      Millions of people suffer from MALNUTRITION.
      Eating a poor diet can lead to MALNUTRITION.

MALOCCLUSION (MAL uh kloo zhun) - noun - improper meeting of the upper and lower teeth
       The orthodontist is treating the child for MALOCCLUSION. 

MALODOROUS (ma O dor us) - adjective - having a bad smell
        The skunk's MALODOROUS scent is a protective mechanism.
        In a short time dead fish become MALODOROUS.

MALPRACTICE (mal PRAK tiss) - noun - professional misconduct, bad practice of one's profession
        After the botched surgery, the doctor was charged with MALPRACTICE;

MALTREATMENT (mal TREET ment) - noun - cruel treatment, abuse
         The guard was fired for his MALTREATMENT of prisoners.

PETIT MAL (puh TEE mahl) - noun or adjective - a mild form of an epileptic seizure (from French "small illness")
         Nobody noticed that he had a PETIT MAL seizure in class.