bølle

See also: bolle, bollë, Bolle, and Bölle

Danish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Germanic *bulljō, from Proto-Indo-European *bhljā (“testicle”), probably because of the similarity of the berry to testicles.

Noun

bølle

1. bog bilberry (bush)

Declension

Declension of bølle

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	bølle	bøllen	bøller	bøllene
genitive	bølles	bøllens	bøllers	bøllenes

Etymology 2

Coined in 1885, from a gang called bøllesjakket, which took its name from its haunt, Bøllemosen (situated north of Copenhagen), which is in turn named after the plant bølle (etymology 1). Unrelated to English bully.

Noun

bølle

1. bully

Declension

Declension of bølle

common gender	Singular		Plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	bølle	bøllen	bøller	bøllene
genitive	bølles	bøllens	bøllers	bøllenes

Related terms

• fjols
• idiot
• nar
• skurk
• torsk

References

• “bølle¹” in Den Danske Ordbog
• “bølle²” in Den Danske Ordbog

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From the Danish name Bøllemose, a place where a band of misbehaving boys from Copenhagen would hang out. Term coined in 1885. Unrelated to English bully.

Noun

bølle f or m (definite singular bølla or bøllen, indefinite plural bøller, definite plural bøllene)

1. brute; a brutish person
2. rascal; a trickster, troublemaker.

Derived terms

• bilbølle
• bøll
• bøllefrø
• bøllete

Verb

bølle (present tense bøller, past tense bølla or bøllet, past participle bølla or bøllet)

1. Act like a brute
2. benignly harassing

References

• “bølle” in The Bokmål Dictionary.