Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Spanish ·1840s
Bonanza
from bonanza
- Meaning
- A sudden source of wealth; a rich ore deposit.
- Source word
- bonanza
- Route into English
- Spanish *bonanza* (fair weather at sea, from Latin *bonus*) → American English via miners in the 1840s California Gold Rush. Miners borrowed the sailor's word for good luck; the TV show borrowed the miners'.
- Arrived
- 1840s
From Spanish
American Spanish, not peninsular Spanish, provided most of the modern loanwords — through US expansion westward and Latin American trade.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.