Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bō-

This Proto-Germanic entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Germanic

Alternative reconstructions

*ba-

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *bʰā-, *bʰāt- (“father, (elder) brother”), which appears to be a papa-type nursery word.^[1] Cognate with Lithuanian batis (“father, dad, friend”), Proto-Slavic *batę (“older male relative or brother, dad”) (whence Russian ба́тя (bátja, “dad”)).

Noun

*bō-, *bōbō-, *bōl-, *bōj- m

A stem meaning father, brother, close male relation.

Derived terms

*babô (reduplicated)
- Proto-West Germanic: *babō
  - Old English: *baba
    - Middle English: babe
      - English: babe
      - Scots: babe
    - ⇒ Middle English: babee, babi
      - English: baby
      - Scots: babie
  - Old Frisian: Bavo (male forename)
  - Old High German: *babo (attested as Babo (male given name))

*bōbô (reduplicated)
- Proto-West Germanic: *bōbō
  - Old English: *bōba, *bōfa (attested as Bōba, Bōfa (male given names))
  - Old Frisian: *bōba, *bōfa, *bōva
    - Saterland Frisian: Boube
    - West Frisian: boef
    - ⇒ Old Frisian: bōfhaft (“villainous”)
      - ⇒ Old Frisian: bōfhaftich, bōfheftich, bōfachtich (“villainous, base, mean”)
    - Old Frisian: bōverīe (“rascality”)
  - Old Saxon: *bōvo (attested as Bōvo (male given name))
    - Middle Low German: bôve
      - German Low German: Boov
      - → Old Swedish: bōve
        Swedish: bov
  - Frankish: *buobo; *Buobo (male forename)
    - Old Dutch: *buovo
      - Middle Dutch: boef, boeve, bouve
        Dutch: boef
  - Old High German: *buobo (attested as Bubō (male given name))
    - Middle High German: buobe, puobe
      - Alemannic German: Bueb
      - German: Bube, Bub
      - Hunsrik: Bub
      - Pennsylvania German: Bub
        → English: bub
    Lombardic: *bōbo (attested as Bōbo (male forename))
- Old Norse: bófi
  - Icelandic: bófi

*bōlô (diminutive)
- Proto-West Germanic: *bōlō
  - Old English: *bōla (attested as Bōla, Bōlla (male given name))
  - Old Frisian: bōla
  - Old Saxon: *bōlo
    - Middle Low German: bôle
  - Frankish: *buolo
    - Old Dutch: *buolo
      - Middle Dutch: boel, boele
        Dutch: boel
        →⇒ English: bully
  - Old High German: *buolo, *puole, *buola
    - Middle High German: buole, puole
      - German: Buhle
      - Vilamovian: buwła

*bōjô (diminutive)
- Proto-West Germanic: *bōjō
  - Old English: *bōia (attested as Bōia (male given name))
    - Middle English: boye, boy, boi
      - English: boy
        → Faroese: boysur
      - Scots: boy
  - Old Frisian: boy, boi; Boio (male given name)
    - >? Saterland Frisian: Bouge
    - West Frisian: boie, boi, boai
  - Old Saxon: *bōjo, (attested as Bōjo (male given name))
    - Middle Low German: *bôie
      - German Low German: Boi
  - Old Dutch: *buoi
    - Middle Dutch: boye, Boye (a to-name)
      - Dutch: boi
  - → Old French: boi, boy
  - Old High German: *buoi
    - Middle High German: *buoi
      - Bavarian: Bui (South Tyrolean)
- Gothic: *𐌱𐍉𐌹𐍉 (*bōiō, male given name)

Unsorted:
- Old Frisian: bobba
  - North Frisian: babbe, babb, babe
  - Saterland Frisian: Baabe
  - West Frisian: bobbe
    - ⇒ West Frisian: bobbert
- Old Dutch: *babbo
  - Middle Dutch: Babbo (male forename)
    - ⇒ Middle Dutch: Babbekin
      - Dutch: Babbetje
- >? Old High German: *buo
  - Middle High German: *buo, *bue
    - Bavarian: Bua
    - Cimbrian: pua
    - Mòcheno: pua
    - Pennsylvania German: Buh, Bu
- Old Norse: *bóa
  - Norwegian: boa (dialectal)
- Old Norse: *babbi
  - Faroese: babba
  - Icelandic: babbi
  - Swedish: babbe; bobbe (dialectal)
- >? Proto-Germanic: *baswô
  - Proto-West Germanic: *baswō
    - Old Frisian: *basa; bas (possibly borrowed from Middle Low German)
      - Saterland Frisian: Boas
      - West Frisian: baes, baas
    - Old Saxon: *baso
      - Middle Low German: bās
        Low German: Bas
        German Low German: Baas
        → German: Bas, Baß, Baas
        → Danish: bas
        → Swedish: bas
        → Norwegian: bas
    - Old Dutch: *baso
      - Middle Dutch: baes
        Dutch: baas
        Afrikaans: baas
        → English: baas
        Negerhollands: baas, baes
        → Lokono: basia
        → Aukan: basi
        → Belizean Creole: baas
        → Caribbean Hindustani: bás
        → Caribbean Javanese: bas
        → English: boss
        → Cantonese: 波士 (bo¹ si^6-2)
        → Danish: boss
        → French: boss
        → Indonesian: bos
        → Italian: boss
        → Japanese: ボス (bosu)
        → Korean: 보스 (boseu)
        → Guyanese Creole English: baas
        → Indonesian: bas (“boss”)
        → Petjo: bas
        → Jamaican Creole: baas
        → Kwinti: basia
        → Papiamentu: bas, baas, ba
        → Saramaccan: bási
        → Sranan Tongo: basi
        → Kari'na: ba`si
        → Trió: paasi
        → West Frisian: baas
        West Flemish: baos
        → French: bausse

References

^ Vladimir Orel (2003) “*ƀōƀōn”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 51

[1] Vladimir Orel (2003) “*ƀōƀōn”, in A Handbook of Germanic Etymology‎^[1], Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 51

[1]