A Boon Was Once a Request, Not a Gift
A boon is a benefit or blessing. The Norse word meant a prayer or petition, and the sense flipped to the thing granted.
A boon is a benefit, blessing or thing to be thankful for. Old Norse *bon* meant a prayer or request, and *to ask a boon* originally meant to make a petition. The sense slid from the asking to the thing asked for, and then to any welcome benefit — the same drift as *petition* to *grant*. *Boon companion* is a separate word entirely, from French *bon*, meaning good, so it means a good and merry friend.
- A benefit. *A great boon.*
- A request (archaic). *To ask a boon.*
- Boon companion — a merry friend. *A boon companion.*
- Bane — the opposite. *A boon or a bane.*
- Old Norse — *bon*, a prayer. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | boon | A boon. |
| Plural | boons | Boons. |
| Compound | boon companion | A boon companion. |
| Opposite | bane | A bane. |
| Old Norse | bon | A prayer. |
- The bridge was a boon to the village.Benefit.
- He asked one boon of the king.Archaic.
- Boon companion means good friend.Different word.
Requests that became gifts
- Boon — from the asking to the thing granted
- Grant — the act, then the money given
- Petition — the request, then the document
- Bequest — from asking, now the thing left in a will
- Bid — from asking, now the offer itself
Old Norse *bon*, a prayer or request, related to the root of *bid*. The sense of a benefit developed from the 1700s.
Did boon always mean a benefit?
No. It meant a request or petition. The meaning moved from the asking to the thing granted, and then to any welcome benefit.
Is boon companion the same word?
No. That comes from French bon, meaning good, and describes a good-humoured friend.