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Where does the word "bonanza" come from? It comes from Latin bonus, passing through Spanish before entering English (1800s).
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Where does the word "bonanza" come from? It comes from Latin bonus, passing through Spanish before entering English (1800s).
Bonanza’s story begins in Latin: bonus meant “good.” By medieval, the word had taken hold in Spanish as bonanza. Came to mean fair weather or good fortune. It reached English by 1800s as bonanza. Spanish for 'fair weather at sea', then a rich vein of ore; the 1959 TV western made it widely known. Today, bonanza means a situation that creates a sudden increase in wealth, good fortune, or profit.
- Stage 1 · Latin · ancient bonus "good", meaning "good".
- Stage 2 · Spanish · medieval bonanza "fair weather, prosperity", came to mean fair weather or good fortune.
- Stage 3 · English · 1800s bonanza "a source of sudden wealth or good fortune", Spanish for 'fair weather at sea', then a rich vein of ore; the 1959 TV western made it widely known.