bonus

the word 'bonus' entered english in the late 18th century directly from latin, where it meant 'good'. it was originally used in the phrase 'bonus vir' (a good man) and later in commercial contexts. the specific financial sense of an extra payment or dividend emerged from stock market jargon, where a 'bonus' was a 'good' or extra share distributed to shareholders beyond their normal dividends. this concrete financial meaning later broadened to encompass any additional benefit or advantage, retaining the core idea of something 'good' added to what is standard or expected.

the word 'bonus' is a simplex loanword from latin, adopted as a whole into english. it is the masculine singular form of the latin adjective 'bonus, bona, bonum' meaning 'good'.