bumpkin

English

Etymology

From either Flemish boomken, "shrub, little tree", diminutive of boom, "tree" (compare German Baum, Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-) or from Middle Dutch bommekijn, "little tree", diminutive of bomme, "tree , barrel". Both can be compared to German Baumke or Bäumchen , meaning the same as the other two (German -ke, -chen, Flemish -ken). Note that the English word boom is etymologically related to the aforementioned "Baum", "boom", and "bomme" in the sense of "large stem", or "big tree".

Pronunciation

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Noun

bumpkin (plural bumpkins)

1. a clumsy, unsophisticated person; a yokel
2. (nautical) a short boom or spar used to extend a sail or secure a stay