a. Obs. Forms: 4–5 bonure, 4–6 boner(e, -aire, 5 -our, -ayr, -eyre, 6 bonnair, 6–7 bonayre, 4–7 bonair. [a. OF. bonnaire gentle, courteous, affable, shortened from debonnaire. The accent shifted in ME.]

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  1.  Well-bred, gentle, courteous, kind, complaisant.

2

c. 1300.  K. Alis., 6732. With wordes bonere, Heom answerith swithe faire.

3

c. 1325.  E. E. Allit. P., B. 733. Blessed be þow … so boner & þewed.

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c. 1430.  How Gd. Wijf tauȝte hir Douȝtir, 103, in Babees Bk. (1868), 41. To bitter ne to bonour with hem þat þou ne be.

5

1460.  Lybeaus Disc., 1727. Sche ys meke and boneyre.

6

1542.  Sarum Manual, 64. To be bonere and buxum in bedde and at the borde.

7

1600.  Holland, Livy, iv. ii. 446. To have been … made more bonair and gratious.

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1623.  Cockeram, I. Bonayre, gentle, milde.

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1696.  Phillips, Bonair, see Debonair.

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  2.  quasi-adv. = BONAIRLY.

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c. 1320.  Sir Tristr., I. xxix. The mariner spac bonair.

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c. 1350.  Will. Palerne, 332. Bere þe boxumly & bonure.

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