Etymology and origin of the Proto-Germanic word *bōguz
- Confidence
- Established
- Formation
- Inherited
- Inherited from
- Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰús
Etymology tree
Reconstruction
The word is *bōguz in Ringe and Wiktionary,[1][2] *ƀōʒuz in Orel,[3] and the stem *bōgu- in Kroonen and Köbler.[4][5]
Etymology
It is inherited from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂ǵʰús (“arm”);[2] Ringe writes *bhāǵhus, perhaps with *-ah₂-.[1]
Morphology
A masculine u-stem.[4][5] Ringe takes it from PIE through *bāguz to *bōguz.[6] Bammesberger thinks it first named the arm.[7]
Evidence
The word is Northwest Germanic: Old Norse bógr and Old English bōg, Old Frisian bōch and Old High German buog, with no Gothic form.[4][3] It is identical with Tocharian A poke (“arm”), Tocharian B poko (“arm”), Avestan bāzu- (“arm”) and Ancient Greek πῆχυς (pêkhus, “forearm”).[4][3]
Meanings
Old English also used it for "arm" and "branch",[8] and Old High German for "hip";[4] Holthausen glosses the Old High German word as the upper joint of the arm, the foreleg or the thigh.[8]
Derivatives
- *bōsmaz "bosom", a collective derived from it, with a question mark, in Kroonen;[9] Wiktionary calls its origin unclear.[10]
- *bōg-isla-, behind the Old Norse word for the front flipper of a whale.[4]
- Kroonen also relates *bagmaz "beam, tree" to it.[11]
Reflexes
- Old Norse: bógr (“shoulder, arm, bow”)[12]
- Old English: bōg (“arm, shoulder, branch”)[8]
- Old Frisian: bōch (“branch”)[13]
- Old Saxon: bōg (“shoulder, fore-quarter”)[14]
- Old High German: buog (“shoulder, hip”)[15]
References
- ^ a b c Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 91
- ^ a b c Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bōguz
- ^ a b c Orel, Vladimir (2003), A Handbook of Germanic Etymology, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. s.v. *ƀōʒuz
- ^ a b c d e f g Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 71
- ^ a b Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Germanisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. *bōgu-
- ^ Ringe, Don (2017), From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 172
- ^ Bammesberger, Alfred (1990), Die Morphologie des urgermanischen Nomens, Heidelberg: Winter, p. 155
- ^ a b c Holthausen, Ferdinand (1934), Altenglisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, Heidelberg: Carl Winter, p. s.v. bōg
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 72
- ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org, p. s.v. *bōsmaz
- ^ Kroonen, Guus (2013), Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 11, Leiden / Boston: Brill, p. 47
- ^ de Vries, Jan (1977), Altnordisches etymologisches Wörterbuch, 2nd ed., Leiden: Brill, p. 47
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altfriesisches Wörterbuch, 4th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bōch
- ^ Köbler, Gerhard (2014), Altsächsisches Wörterbuch, 5th ed., online, koeblergerhard.de/wikiling, p. s.v. bōg
- ^ Lloyd, Albert L.; Springer, Otto; Lühr, Rosemarie, et al. (1988–), Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Althochdeutschen, Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht; online ewa.saw-leipzig.de, p. s.v. buog
Related etymologies
- *stainaz · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *beraną · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *fadēr · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *watōr · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *ga- · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *frijaz · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *fallaną · also from Proto-Indo-European
- *standaną · also from Proto-Indo-European
Cite this entry
“*bōguz.” Etymologically, 16 Nov. 2026, etymologically.com/gem-pro/*b%C5%8Dguz. Accessed 16 Nov. 2026.
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