Etymology of australian term "bonzer" ("bonza")

Rabo Karabekian

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Oct 12, 2001, 11:40:01 PM10/12/01

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Hi

I have heard that the Australian term "bonzer" (or "bonza" - an
adjective meaning 'good') derived from a Cantonese expression "bong
sar" (or something similar) meaning "good gold".

The justification as I heard it:

"The word entered the Australian vernacular during the 1856 Gold Rush.
A subtantial number of Chinese (from Canton, specifically) came to
Australia in search of gold and acquired a reputation for being good
at finding it. English speaking people quickly learned to listen for
the chinese exclaiming "bong sar" as it meant a good discovery."

OK - it's certainly a damn plausible story and corresponds
historically (there were a substantial number of Cantonese
gold-diggers in the fields.)

But apart from that - is there any reason to believe that there is a
word of truth to any of it? (Or does anyone speak Cantonese? we could
at least verify or reject the "good gold" translation?)

Rabo

***
"I'm writing an encyclopedia. Why not join me?"
www.wikipedia.com

Roger Jones

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Oct 13, 2001, 6:28:16 PM10/13/01

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"Rabo Karabekian" <ra...@emcglobal.com> wrote in message
news:a245392d.01101...@posting.google.com...

My Wilkes (Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms) gives bonzer as "origin
uncertain". The earliest citations are 1904 and 1906. I should add that the
word is almost never heard any more. While most third (or higher) generation
Australians will know the word, very few would ever use it.

Roger

lindstrom

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Oct 14, 2001, 4:48:30 PM10/14/01

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"Roger Jones" <roger...@dingoblue.net.au> wrote in message
news:3bc8be4e$0$586$afc3...@news.optusnet.com.au...
:
: "Rabo Karabekian" <ra...@emcglobal.com> wrote in message

:
Cool!

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Regards,
David Lindstrom
D_Lin...@bigpond.com

Rabo Karabekian

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Oct 17, 2001, 1:00:02 PM10/17/01

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>
> My Wilkes (Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms) gives bonzer as "origin
> uncertain". The earliest citations are 1904 and 1906. I should add that the
> word is almost never heard any more. While most third (or higher) generation
> Australians will know the word, very few would ever use it.
>
> Roger

Hell - I use it all the time! But then I am a country boy... :)

Cheers

amitsaw...@gmail.com

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Jul 12, 2019, 10:16:16 AM7/12/19

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I think it must of come from the french "Bon ça", which sound the same in an aussie accent and mean "that's good"!

Peter Duncanson [BrE]

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Jul 12, 2019, 1:00:08 PM7/12/19

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On Fri, 12 Jul 2019 07:16:14 -0700 (PDT), amitsaw...@gmail.com
wrote:

>I think it must of come from the french "Bon ça", which sound the same in an aussie accent and mean "that's good"!
>

The OED says:

Etymology: Origin unknown.
Perhaps an alteration of bouncer n. (compare sense 4 at that entry),
bouncer, n.
4. A large specimen of its kind; a ‘thumper’.

That sense of "bouncer" was used in Britain in the 1800s.
The earliest example of "bonzer" is dated 1901. That is consistent with
"bouncer" having migrated to Australia and being re-pronounced as
"bonzer".

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.english.usage)

idur...@none.i2p

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Aug 20, 2019, 12:14:20 AM8/20/19

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jb39...@gmail.com

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Aug 20, 2019, 6:16:51 PM8/20/19

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>
> The principle of action of Phentermine active substance is to affect the human central nervous system. By acting on the function of the nerve receptors, Phentermine (active substance) suppresses hunger and accelerates the metabolic processes in the body.
>
>

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tangs...@gmail.com

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Aug 24, 2019, 1:47:05 PM8/24/19

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Nadine Ireland

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Aug 18, 2020, 12:26:52 AM8/18/20

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Hell! I use it all the time and I’m a city girl. But then, I am in my late 50s. Sigh.

Nadine Ireland

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Aug 18, 2020, 12:31:43 AM8/18/20

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Regarding “bonzer”, the Australian "Macquarie Dictionary” online (subscription required) says:

Also, bonz, bonze, bonza, boshter, bosker. [early forms bonser and bonster;
? French bon good + -STER with intensive effect]

The plot thickens!

Nadine Ireland
Queensland, Australia

On Saturday, 13 July 2019 at 03:00:08 UTC+10, Peter Duncanson [BrE] wrote:
> On Fri, 12 Jul 2019 07:16:14 -0700 (PDT), a...@gmail.com

Ceel P

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Dec 3, 2020, 3:35:56 AM12/3/20

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recently an etymologist
found its come from NZ and they got it from enlgish marble term (the game of marbles)

Arwen Li

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Sep 29, 2023, 9:46:57 AM9/29/23

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Mate 'bong sar' means nothing in Cantonese or Mandarin I'm sorry. This is fake news

Anton Shepelev

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Sep 29, 2023, 10:46:10 AM9/29/23

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Arwen Li:

> Mate 'bong sar' means nothing in Cantonese or Mandarin I'm
> sorry.

Greetings to Chinese experts. Let us try another one, the
Russian word байховый (baikhovij) cerruntly denoting any tea
of high quality. The other day, in my town's only tea shop,
I tasted and bought some delicious Baihao Yinzhen, and it
occurred to me -- that's whence the Russian word comes,
albeit with a distorted meaning.

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