Etymologically
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boscus

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 23 October 2026 at 14:40. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • Classical: [ˈbɔs.kʊs][1]
  • Ecclesiastical: [ˈbɔs.kus][1]

Forms

boscus m (genitive boscī); second declension[1] Also boscum (neuter), buscus, boschus and bossus,[2][3][4][5] and the feminine busca.[1][6]

Etymology

Wiktionary gives it as borrowed from Frankish *busk, from Proto-Germanic *buskaz,[1] and Niermeyer also calls it Germanic;[3] Etymonline thinks the Medieval Latin word probably comes from Germanic.[6] Köbler instead supposes Gaulish *boskos,[2] and the MLW leaves the origin open.[5]

It is the source of Italian bosco, Spanish bosque and French bois.[6][4] English bush goes back to Old English bysc but was influenced by Medieval Latin busca, and English bouquet comes from a Picard diminutive of the Old French word.[6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Köbler's first record is a charter of 837, in the sense of a wood or woodland.[2]

Semantic evolution

In charters it is a wood or wooded ground, often given, confirmed or used to mark a boundary,[5][3] and also wood as a material, especially firewood and timber;[3][2] Köbler adds a wood set aside for gathering firewood.[2] Du Cange notes that it occurs everywhere in medieval documents.[4] In England it is common in forest law: the Assize of the Forest of 1184 forbids anyone to pasture his woods before the king's woods are pastured.[7] It also appears in names of persons and places.[5]

Timeline

  • 837 – It first appears in a charter.[2]
  • 993/996 – A Bernese charter lists a wood and meadows among lands received.[5]
  • 1131 – A charter of Henry I gives tithes of woodland.[7]
  • 1184 – The Assize of the Forest uses it of the king's woods.[7]
  • 1716 – English borrows bouquet from French.[6]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (Medieval Latin) A wood, grove; woodland.[3][5][7]
  2. (Medieval Latin) Wood as material, especially firewood or timber.[3][2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  3. ^ a b c d e f Niermeyer, J. F. (1976), Mediae Latinitatis Lexicon Minus, Leiden: Brill
  4. ^ a b c du Cange, Charles du Fresne, et al. (1883–1887), Glossarium mediae et infimae latinitatis, augmented ed. by Léopold Favre, Niort: L. Favre
  5. ^ a b c d e f Mittellateinisches Wörterbuch bis zum ausgehenden 13. Jahrhundert (1967–), Munich: C. H. Beck; Bayerische Akademie der Wissenschaften
  6. ^ a b c d e Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  7. ^ a b c d Latham, R. E., D. R. Howlett, R. K. Ashdowne, et al. (1975–2013), Dictionary of Medieval Latin from British Sources, London: British Academy / Oxford University Press