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 forms

• *ba-

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *bʰā-, *bʰāt- (“father, (elder) brother”). 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

1. 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
        • →⇒ 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)
      • 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