Bönhase

German

Alternative forms

• Böhnhase

Etymology

From Middle Low German bönhase, bonehase (“cat”), from böne (“loft, attic”) + hase (“hare”), the former being cognate of German Bühne (“stage”). The word is first attested in the early 14th century as a personal name (and is thus probably even older). Since the 15th century it meant “illegally working craftsperson”. The sense “cat” is only attested later on, but there can be little doubt that it is the original meaning. Compare German Dachhase, English roof rabbit, etc., which in fact must be loan translations of the Low German unless there were some ancient source for all of them. It was formerly supposed that the illegal workers were called Bönhasen as a pun on Ancient Greek βάναυσος (bánausos, “worker in an ignoble trade”), whence later German Banause, but this is highly unlikely since Greek studies were only just being revived in the 15th century. More probably these workers were simply compared to stray cats who holed up in lofts and fled when chased (as they commonly were by the members of the official guilds).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbøːnˌhaːzə/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

Bönhase m (weak, genitive Bönhasen, plural Bönhasen)

1. (Northern Germany, humorous, archaic) cat; roof rabbit

   Synonym: Dachhase

2. (Northern Germany, chiefly historical) A skilled manual worker or craftsperson who works illegally, originally without the concession of the respective guild.
3. (Northern Germany) botcher; bungler (incompetent worker)

   Synonyms: Pfuscher, Stümper

Declension

Declension of Bönhase [masculine, weak]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Bönhase	die	Bönhasen
genitive	eines	des	Bönhasen	der	Bönhasen
dative	einem	dem	Bönhasen	den	Bönhasen
accusative	einen	den	Bönhasen	die	Bönhasen

Related terms

• Bühne
• Hase

Further reading

• “Bönhase” in Duden online