boboc

Forms

boboc m (plural boboci)^[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from Byzantine Greek μπουμπούκι (boumpoúki, “bud”), according to DELR, which cites Cihac, the DA and DEX for it.^[2] Ciorănescu and DEX give the source as Modern Greek, Wiktionary as Greek, and MDA2 names Modern Greek βυβύκι (vyvýki) as the probable source.^[3][4][1][5] The Greek word is recorded in medieval texts for a flower that has not yet opened.^[6] Babiniotis derives it, probably, from Ancient Greek βομβύκιον (bombúkion), a diminutive of βόμβυξ (bómbux, “silkworm, cocoon”).^[7] DELR gives the same chain, glossing the ancient diminutive “silkworm cocoon”.^[2]

Tiktin compares the Greek word but thought the Romanian one looked Slavic, a derivative of Old Church Slavonic бобъ (bobŭ, “bean”) with the suffix -okŭ, as in motoc, gânsoc and mânzoc.^[8] Scriban linked it to Serbo-Croatian bobuk “air bubble” and Russian бобок (bobok, “grain”), a diminutive of the word for “bean”, and took the Greek word from the same Slavic source.^[9] DELR records both views but puts the Greek source first.^[2]

Forms from Greek are found south of the Danube as well: Aromanian bubuche and Megleno-Romanian băbuchie “bud”.^[3][10][11] Ciorănescu compares Albanian bubukje.^[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The first record is a place name of 1380, Bobochmezeu “the field of Boboci”.^[2][8] A place called Bobocii is recorded in 1571 and a man named Buboc or Boboc in 1587.^[8][2] As a common noun, with the senses “unopened flower” and “gosling, duckling”, the word appears in T. Corbea's dictionary of 1691–1697.^[2]

Semantic evolution

The two old senses, the flower bud and the young of geese and ducks, stand side by side in all the dictionaries.^[2][4][8] From the bud comes the figurative un boboc de fată “a girl fresh as a bud”, and a term of endearment.^[8][5][12] From the gosling comes the sense “novice, greenhorn”: a raw recruit, then a first-year student.^[4][5] Slang has extended it to a pupil in the first year of high school.^[13]

The proverb toamna se numără bobocii “the goslings are counted in autumn” means that results are judged only at the end.^[8][14] Romanian formed the diminutive bobocel and the verb îmboboci “to bud”.^[2][3]

Timeline

• 1380 – the place name Bobochmezeu, the first record.^[2][8]
• 1571 – the place name Bobocii.^[8]
• 1587 – the personal name Buboc, Boboc.^[2]
• 1620 – the diminutive bobocel as a personal name.^[2]
• 1691–1697 – the common noun and bobocel in T. Corbea's dictionary.^[2]
• 1704 – in Cantemir's Istoria ieroglifică.^[5]
• 1803 – the verb boboci “to bud”.^[2]
• 1840 – bobocică “gosling, duckling”, also the name of a folk dance.^[2]
• 1865 – dezboboci “(of buds) to open”, in Hasdeu.^[2]

Meanings

Noun

1. A bud: the unopened calyx of a flower, or a flower just beginning to open.^[4][5]
2. A gosling or duckling: Bobocii de rață au ieșit la baltă.^[4][1]
3. (figurative) A beginner without experience, a greenhorn; a raw recruit; a freshman, a first-year student.^[4][1]
4. (figurative) A term of endearment for a loved one.^[5][12]

Word family

• bobocel
• bobocică
• dezboboci
• îmboboci
• îmbobocit

Related words

• Aromanian bubuche

Usage notes

MDA2 records an old variant buboc and a rare neuter plural boboace.^[5] Set phrases: a paște bobocii “to waste one's time” and a da la boboci “to vomit”.^[4]

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2011–), Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române (DELR), vol. I: A–B (2011), vol. II: C (2015–2018), București: Editura Academiei Române; continued online at delr.lingv.ro, p. s.v. boboc
3. ^ a b c d Ciorănescu, Alexandru (1958–1966), Diccionario etimológico rumano, La Laguna: Universidad de La Laguna (Romanian ed.: Dicționarul etimologic al limbii române, București: Saeculum, 2001), p. s.v. boboc
4. ^ a b c d e f g DEX (2009), Dicționarul explicativ al limbii române [Explanatory dictionary of the Romanian language], Bucharest: Editura Univers Enciclopedic, p. 110
5. ^ a b c d e f g Academia Română, Institutul de Lingvistică „Iorgu Iordan – Al. Rosetti” (2010), Micul dicționar academic, 2nd ed., 4 vols., București: Univers Enciclopedic Gold, p. 1, 221
6. ^ Kriaras, Emmanuel, Επιτομή του Λεξικού της μεσαιωνικής ελληνικής δημώδους γραμματείας 1100–1669, Κέντρο Ελληνικής Γλώσσας, https://www.greek-language.gr
7. ^ Babiniotis, Georgios (2010), Ετυμολογικό λεξικό της νέας ελληνικής γλώσσας [Etymological Dictionary of Modern Greek], Athens: Κέντρο Λεξικολογίας, p. 956
8. ^ a b c d e f g h Tiktin, Hariton (2000–2005), Rumänisch-deutsches Wörterbuch, 3rd ed., revised by Paul Miron and Elsa Lüder, 3 vols., Cluj-Napoca: Clusium, p. s.v. boboc
9. ^ Scriban, August (1939), Dicționaru limbii românești (etimologii, înțelesuri, exemple, citațiuni, arhaizme, neologizme, provincializme), Iași: Presa Bună, p. 1, 181
10. ^ Pascu, Giorge (1925), Dictionnaire étymologique macédoroumain, 2 vols. (I: Les éléments latins et romans; II: Les éléments grecs, turcs, slaves, albanais, germaniques, magyars, néologismes, créations immédiates, obscurs), Iași: Cultura Națională, p. 2, 240
11. ^ Capidan, Theodor (1935), Meglenoromânii III: Dicționar meglenoromân, București: Academia Română, p. 30
12. ^ a b Macrea, Dimitrie; Petrovici, Emil (coord.) (1955–1957), Dicționarul limbii romîne literare contemporane, 4 vols., București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 253
13. ^ Volceanov, George (2007), Dicționar de argou al limbii române, București: Niculescu, p. s.v. boboc
14. ^ Academia Republicii Populare Romîne (1958), Dicționarul limbii romîne moderne, București: Editura Academiei Republicii Populare Romîne, p. 1, 85