bo
Translingual edit
Symbol edit
bo
English edit
Pronunciation edit
- (UK) IPA(key): /bəʊ/
- (General American) IPA(key): /boʊ/
Audio (US) (file) - Rhymes: -əʊ
- Homophones: beau, Bo, bow
Etymology 1 edit
Imitative.
Alternative forms edit
Interjection edit
bo
- An exclamation used to startle or frighten.
- 1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 37, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:
- We may fairely cry bo-bo-boe; it may well make us hoarse, but it will nothing advaunce it.
Derived terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
Probably a shortening of boy.
Noun edit
bo (plural bos)
- (US, slang) Fellow, chap, boy.
- 1940, Raymond Chandler, Farewell, My Lovely, Penguin, published 2010, page 255:
- ‘Never heard of him,’ he smiled. ‘On your way, bo.’
Etymology 3 edit
From Japanese 棒 (bō), from Middle Chinese 棒 (bˠʌŋX, “staff, club”) (compare modern Chinese 棒 (bàng)).
Noun edit
bo (plural bos)
- (martial arts) A quarterstaff, especially in an oriental context.
See also edit
Anagrams edit
Afrikaans edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Adverb edit
bo
Preposition edit
bo
Catalan edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Latin bonus, from Old Latin duenos, later duonus, from Proto-Italic *dwenos, from Proto-Indo-European *dew- (“to show favor, revere”). Numerous cognates include French bon and Portuguese bom.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
bo (feminine bona, masculine plural bons, feminine plural bones)
Usage notes edit
- The form bon is used as the masculine singular form when the adjective precedes the noun, and bo is used in all other cases.
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
See also edit
Further reading edit
- “bo” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
- “bo” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.
Cebuano edit
Noun edit
bo
Verb edit
bo
- to arm-wrestle
Cimbrian edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle High German wā, from Old High German wār, hwār, from Proto-West Germanic *hwār, from Proto-Germanic *hwar (“where”). Cognate with German wo, English where.
Adverb edit
bo
Alternative forms edit
- ba (Sette Comuni)
References edit
- Patuzzi, Umberto, ed., (2013) Luserna / Lusérn: Le nostre parole / Ünsarne börtar / Unsere Wörter [Our Words], Luserna, Italy: Comitato unitario delle isole linguistiche storiche germaniche in Italia / Einheitskomitee der historischen deutschen Sprachinseln in Italien
Etymology 2 edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Conjunction edit
bo
- (Sette Comuni) the ... the
- Bo mèront hatzich, bo mèeront bilzich.
- The more we have, the more we want.
References edit
- “bo” in Martalar, Umberto Martello; Bellotto, Alfonso (1974) Dizionario della lingua Cimbra dei Sette Communi vicentini, 1st edition, Roana, Italy: Instituto di Cultura Cimbra A. Dal Pozzo
Cornish edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
bo
Mutation edit
Cuiba edit
Noun edit
bo
Czech edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old Czech bo, from Proto-Slavic *bo. Compare Polish bo.
Pronunciation edit
Conjunction edit
bo
Further reading edit
Danish edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Old Norse bú, from Old Norse búa (“to reside”).
Noun edit
bo n (singular definite boet, plural indefinite boer)
Inflection edit
Etymology 2 edit
From Old Norse búa (“to reside”), from Proto-Germanic *būaną, cognate with Norwegian bo, bu, Swedish bo, German bauen, Dutch bouwen, Gothic 𐌱𐌰𐌿𐌰𐌽 (bauan).
Verb edit
bo (present tense bor, past tense boede, past participle boet)
Conjugation edit
Dutch edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bo m (plural bo's, diminutive boke n)
Duvle edit
Noun edit
bo
Further reading edit
Bill Palmer, The Languages and Linguistics of the New Guinea Area (→ISBN, 2017), page 531, table 95, Comparative basic vocabulary in Lakes Plain Languages
Esperanto edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bo (accusative singular bo-on, plural bo-oj, accusative plural bo-ojn)
- The name of the Latin-script letter B.
See also edit
Fala edit
Etymology edit
From Old Galician-Portuguese bõo, from Latin bonus.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
bo (feminine boa, masculine plural bos, feminine plural boas)
Usage notes edit
- In Lagarteiru, when preceding a feminine noun as part of a noun phrase, the masculine forms are used.
Derived terms edit
- Noitiboa (“Christmas Eve”)
Related terms edit
- bondai (“goodness”)
References edit
Fijian edit
Etymology edit
From Proto-Oceanic *baʀoq, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *baʀəq.
Noun edit
bo
Friulian edit
Etymology edit
From Latin bōs, bōvem, probably through Vulgar Latin *boem.
Noun edit
bo m (plural bûs)
Synonyms edit
See also edit
Galician edit
Alternative forms edit
Etymology edit
From Old Galician-Portuguese bõo, from Latin bonus. Cognate with Portuguese bom and Spanish bueno.
Pronunciation edit
Adjective edit
bo (feminine boa, masculine plural bos, feminine plural boas)
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
References edit
- “bo” in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval, SLI - ILGA 2006–2022.
- “bo” in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega, SLI - ILGA 2006–2013.
- “bo” in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega. Santiago: ILG.
- “bo” in Álvarez, Rosario (coord.): Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués, Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega.
Guinea-Bissau Creole edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Portuguese vós. Cognate with Kabuverdianu bo.
Pronoun edit
bo
Etymology 2 edit
From Portuguese bom. Cognate with Kabuverdianu bon.
Adjective edit
bo
Gunwinggu edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bo
Derived terms edit
References edit
- Lynette Frances Oates, A Tentative Description of the Gunwinggu Language (1964)
- Steven and Narelle Etherington, Kunwinjku Kunwok: A Short Introduction to Kunwinjku Language and Society (third edition, 1998)
Italian edit
Interjection edit
bo
- Alternative spelling of boh
Anagrams edit
Japanese edit
Romanization edit
bo
Kabuverdianu edit
Etymology edit
From Portuguese vós.
Pronoun edit
bo
- you (second person singular).
Kalasha edit
Etymology edit
From Sanskrit बहु (bahu), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰn̥ǵʰús. Cognate with Khowar بو (bo), Hindi बहुत (bahut).
Adverb edit
bo
Adjective edit
bo
Louisiana Creole edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
Inherited from French beau (“handsome, fine, attractive; boyfriend”).
Adjective edit
bo m (feminine bèl)
Noun edit
bo
- (a) boyfriend
Etymology 2 edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.) Compare Saint Dominican Creole French bobo, Haitian Creole bo.
Verb edit
bo
- (transitive or intransitive) to kiss
Noun edit
bo
References edit
- Alcée Fortier, Louisiana Folktales
Mandarin edit
Romanization edit
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 卜
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 啵
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 噃
- Hanyu Pinyin reading of 蔔/卜
bo
- Nonstandard spelling of bō.
- Nonstandard spelling of bó.
- Nonstandard spelling of bǒ.
- Nonstandard spelling of bò.
Usage notes edit
- Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
Masurian edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old Polish bo.
Pronunciation edit
Conjunction edit
bo
Particle edit
bo
Further reading edit
Mawes edit
Noun edit
bo
Further reading edit
- Cornelis L. Voorhoeve, Languages of Irian Jaya Checklist (1975, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics)
- Mawes Swadesh List
Nabak edit
Noun edit
bo
References edit
- Corinna Handschuh, A typology of marked-S languages
Northern Kurdish edit
Pronunciation edit
- Rhymes: -oː
Preposition edit
bo
Derived terms edit
Norwegian Bokmål edit
Etymology 1 edit
Borrowed from Middle Low German behof (compare with behov).
Noun edit
bo (indeclinable) (idiomatic use only)
- (uncountable, usually with ha) a need
- Jeg har bo for en hammer.
- I could use a hammer.
Usage notes edit
A noun not commonly used.
Synonyms edit
Related terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
From Danish bo, from Old Norse bú (“settled area, town”) (compare alternative form bu). Akin to bod (“store room, booth”) and the verb bo (“to live”).
Alternative forms edit
- bu (Nynorsk also)
Noun edit
bo n (definite singular boet, indefinite plural bo, definite plural boa or boene)
- one's home (mainly idiomatic)
- De giftet seg og satte bo.
- They married and settled down/built their home.
- estate
- Å skifte et bo.
- To divide an estate.
Synonyms edit
Derived terms edit
- See combined section below.
Etymology 3 edit
From Danish bo, from Old Norse búa (“to prepare, finish, make preparations, equip”), cognate with Old English būan, Old Frisian buwa, Old Saxon būan and Old High German būan (whence German bauen).
Alternative forms edit
- bu (Nynorsk also)
Verb edit
bo (imperative bo, present tense bor, simple past bodde, past participle bodd, present participle boende)
- to live (have permanent residence), stay
- Hvor bor du (hen)?
- Where do you live?
- Jeg vet hvor du bor.
- I know where you live.
- Hvor lenge blir du boende.
- How long will you be staying?
- to be, to dwell, to be in
- Husk at all skjønnhet på jord bor i de evige ord: Jeg elsker deg.(Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson)
- Remember that all beauty on Earth dwells in those eternal words: I love you.
- Du aner ikke hva som virkelig bor i henne.(literally: "you have no idea what really dwells in her")
- You have no idea what she's really like.
Synonyms edit
- (to live, have residence): holde hus (holde til huse), holde til husere, kampere, leve, losjere, oppholde seg, residere, tilbringe
- (to dwell in, be in): finnes, rommes, skjule seg, være, være til stede
Derived terms edit
- (Noun and verb)
References edit
- “bo” in The Ordnett Dictionary
- “bo” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
- search on "bo" on Ordtak.no - web site containing quotes and citations
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Low German behof (compare behov).
Noun edit
bo (indeclinable) (idiomatic use only)
- (uncountable, usually with ha, uncommon) a need
- Eg har bo for ein hammar.
- I could use a hammer.
Synonyms edit
Related terms edit
References edit
- “bo” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Old Czech edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bo.
Pronunciation edit
Conjunction edit
bo
Descendants edit
- Czech: bo
References edit
- Jan Gebauer (1903–1916), “bo”, in Slovník staročeský (in Czech), Prague: Česká grafická společnost "unie", Česká akademie císaře Františka Josefa pro vědy, slovesnost a umění
Old Norse edit
Alternative forms edit
- bú (“Old West Norse”)
Etymology edit
From Proto-Germanic *būą.
Noun edit
bo n
- (Old East Norse) dwelling
- Late 10th century, Karlevi Runestone
Old Polish edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Proto-Slavic *bo. First attested in the first half of the 14th century.
Pronunciation edit
Conjunction edit
bo
- because
- 1887, 1889 [1388], Józef Lekszycki, editor, Die ältesten großpolnischen Grodbücher, volume I, number 461:
- Czso posual Jacub medzi mnø a medzi Bodzechnø, tho posual po prawe, bosmi tho sandzili
- [Czso pozwał Jakub miedzy mną a miedzy Bodzechną, to pozwał po prawie, bosmy to sądzili]
- c. 1301-1350, Kazania świętokrzyskie[2], page br 10:
- Moui... pocazuiø, iz sø gresnicy ctuoracy; bo moui to slouo albo sedøcim, albo spøcim, albo lezøcim, albo uma[rłym]
- [Mowi... pokazuję, iż są grzesznicy cztwioracy; bo mowi to słowo albo siedzącym, albo śpiącym, albo leżącym, albo uma[rłym]]
- 1858 [c. 1408], “Wyroki sądów miejskich czyli ortyle [Urban court rulings i.e. "Ortyls"]”, in Wacław Aleksander Maciejowski, editor, Historia prawodawstw słowiańskich [History of Slavic lawmaking], volume 6, page 71:
- Panye woyczye, yusz bo czyą [y] pytham na prawye... yesthly to szlubyenye moczno
- [Panie wojcie, już bo cię [i] pytam na prawie... jestli to ślubienie mocno]
Descendants edit
References edit
- Sławski, Franciszek (1958-1965), “bo”, in Jan Safarewicz, Andrzej Siudut, editors, Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego [Etymological dictionary of the Polish language] (in Polish), Kraków: Towarzystwo Miłośników Języka Polskiego
- Boryś, Wiesław (2005), “bo”, in Słownik etymologiczny języka polskiego (in Polish), Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie, →ISBN
- Bańkowski, Andrzej (2000), “bo”, in Etymologiczny słownik języka polskiego [Etymological Dictionary of the Polish Language] (in Polish)
- B. Sieradzka-Baziur, editor (2011–2015), “bo”, in Słownik pojęciowy języka staropolskiego [Conceptual Dictionary of Old Polish] (in Polish), Kraków: IJP PAN, →ISBN
Papiamentu edit
Alternative forms edit
- abo (synonym)
Etymology edit
From Portuguese vós and Spanish vos and Kabuverdianu bo.
Pronoun edit
bo
- you (second person singular)
Determiner edit
bo
Polish edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old Polish bo.
Pronunciation edit
Conjunction edit
bo
- because, for (by or for the cause that)
- or, or else, otherwise
- Synonyms: bo inaczej, inaczej, w przeciwnym razie, w przeciwnym wypadku
- Bo co? ― Or else what?
- Wstawaj już, bo spóźnisz się do szkoły! ― Get up now or you'll be late for school!
- because (as is known, inferred, or determined from the fact that)
- On nie jest miły, bo nie chciał dać mi swoich ciasteczek. ― He isn't nice because he didn't want to give me his cookies.
- (Middle Polish) namely
- Synonym: mianowicie
- (Middle Polish) The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
- (Middle Polish) The meaning of this term is uncertain. Possibilities include:
Particle edit
bo
- emphasizes the statement, usually in phrases of opposite meanings, or introduces a rhetorical question, denying its literal meaning
- (with ale) may very well, but, even though, despite
- Stary, bo stary, ale mocny. ― He very well may be old, but he's still strong.
- Trudno bo trudno, ale robi się łatwiej. ― It may very well be hard, but it's getting easier.
Declension edit
Derived terms edit
Trivia edit
According to Słownik frekwencyjny polszczyzny współczesnej (1990), bo is one of the most used words in Polish, appearing 35 times in scientific texts, 5 times in news, 87 times in essays, 231 times in fiction, and 378 times in plays, each out of a corpus of 100,000 words, totaling 736 times, making it the 62nd most common word in a corpus of 500,000 words.[1]
References edit
Further reading edit
- bo in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
- bo in Polish dictionaries at PWN
- “bo”, in Słownik Polszczyzny XVI Wieku [A Dictionary of 16th Century Polish], 2010-2023
- “BO”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century], 21.09.2016
- “BO”, in Elektroniczny Słownik Języka Polskiego XVII i XVIII Wieku [Electronic Dictionary of the Polish Language of the XVII and XVIII Century], 14.01.2008
- Samuel Bogumił Linde (1807–1814), “bo”, in Słownik języka polskiego
- Aleksander Zdanowicz (1861), “bo”, in Słownik języka polskiego, Wilno 1861
- J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1900), “bo”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 1, Warsaw, page 178
- bo in Narodowy Fotokorpus Języka Polskiego
Romagnol edit
Etymology edit
Pronunciation edit
- (Ville Unite):
Noun edit
bo m (plural bu) (Ville Unite)
References edit
- Ercolani, Libero (1971) Vocabolario Romagnolo-Italiano, Monte di Ravenna, page 51
Silesian edit
Etymology edit
Inherited from Old Polish bo.
Pronunciation edit
Conjunction edit
bo
Particle edit
bo
- emphasizes the statement, usually in phrases of opposite meanings, or introduces a rhetorical question, denying its literal meaning
Further reading edit
Slovene edit
Pronunciation edit
Verb edit
bọ̑
Spanish edit
Alternative forms edit
Interjection edit
bo
Sranan Tongo edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
Particle edit
bo
- Marker for the irrealis mood.
Etymology 2 edit
Noun edit
bo
Related terms edit
- alenbo (“rainbow”)
Swedish edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Old Norse búa, from Proto-Germanic *būaną.
Verb edit
bo (present bor, preterite bodde, supine bott, imperative bo)
- (intransitive) live; dwell; reside; to have permanent residence
- Jag vill bo i en stor stad.
- I want to live in a big city.
- 1984, “Zwampen [Svampen] [The mushroom]”, in Lasse Åberg (lyrics), Janne Schaffer (music), Livet i regnskogarna [Life in the rainforests], performed by Electric Banana Band:
- Jag gillar inte höghus, sten och lättbetong. Jag trivs inte i stan, för den är grå och trång. Jag vill bo i en svamp, annars får jag kramp (svamp). Det finns hopp för min kropp i en mullig sopp (svamp). Kom ikväll, och var snäll, till min kantarell (svamp). Titta in, och ta ton, i min champinjon (svamp). Jag vill ut i skogen, i luft och rymd och ljus, och sitta framför svampen, och höra tallens sus. Jag vill bo ... [as before]. Tiderna är hårda, livet är en kamp. Det känns mycket bättre, om jag har min svamp. Jag vill bo ... [as before].
- I don't like high-rise, stone and lightweight concrete. I don't like it in the city, because it [the city] is gray and crowded [tight, cramped]. I want to live in a mushroom, otherwise I get cramps (mushroom). There is hope for my body in a chubby bolete (mushroom). Come tonight, and be nice [kind], to my chanterelle (mushroom). Stop by, and sing ["take tone" – start singing or speaking], in my champignon [common mushroom, like a button mushroom] (mushroom). I want to get out in the forest [want out in the forest], in air and space and light, and sit in front of the mushroom, and hear the soughing of the pine. I want to live ... [as before]. [The] times are hard, [the] life is a struggle. It feels much better, if I have my mushroom. I want to live ... [as before].
- 1989, Eva Dahlgren (lyrics and music), “Ängeln i rummet [The angel in the room]”:
- Det bor en ängel i mitt rum. Hon har sitt bo ovanför mitt huvud. Hon gör mej lugn. Och hon viskar till mej allt det jag säger dej.
- There is an angel living in my room [it lives an angel in my room]. She has her dwelling [usually of animals, especially nests] above my head. She puts me at ease [makes me calm]. And she whispers to me all the things that [all that (which)] I say to you.
Conjugation edit
Related terms edit
Etymology 2 edit
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)
Noun edit
bo n
- a dwelling (of an animal), especially a bird's nest
- fågelbo
- bird’s nest
- att bygga bo
- to build a nest / to nest ("build nest" – idiomatic phrasing)
- (poetic, extended from sense 1) a home
- sätta bo
- settle down
- 1893, Elias Sehlstedt, Visa[5]:
- Litet bo jag sätta vill / Gård med trädgårdstäppa till, […]
- [a] little home I want to set out / [a] farm with [a] garden plot to it […]
Usage notes edit
- The use of "bo" as a shorthand for "bostad" and "boende" (housing) goes back at least to the 1920s, for example in the name of trade expos like "Bygge och Bo" (1925).
Declension edit
Declension of bo | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | bo | boet | bon | bona |
Genitive | bos | boets | bons | bonas |
Alternative form for the definite singular: bot/bots.
Declension of bo | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Singular | Plural | |||
Indefinite | Definite | Indefinite | Definite | |
Nominative | bo | bon | bor | borna |
Genitive | bos | bons | bors | bornas |
Related terms edit
See also edit
References edit
Tasmanian edit
Pronoun edit
bo
Synonyms edit
References edit
- N.J.B. Plomley (1976) A word-list of the Tasmanian aboriginal languages[6]
Venetian edit
Etymology edit
From Vulgar Latin *boem, from Latin bos, bovem.
Noun edit
bo m (invariable)
Vietnamese edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
Chemical element | |
---|---|
B | |
Previous: beri (Be) | |
Next: cacbon (C) |
Noun edit
bo
Etymology 2 edit
Verb edit
bo
Welsh edit
Alternative forms edit
Verb edit
bo
Mutation edit
Welsh mutation | |||
---|---|---|---|
radical | soft | nasal | aspirate |
bo | fo | mo | unchanged |
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs. |
West Makian edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bo
References edit
- Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours[7], Pacific linguistics
Xhosa edit
Pronoun edit
-bo
- Combining stem of bona.
Yale edit
Pronoun edit
bo
- I (first-person singular personal pronoun)
Zaghawa edit
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
bo
- bull
- shepherd's crook
- handle (of a tool, etc. - a stick to hold something with)
References edit
- Beria-English English-Beria Dictionary [provisional] ADESK, Iriba, Kobe Department, Chad
Zhuang edit
Etymology edit
From Middle Chinese 坡 (pʰuɑ).
Pronunciation edit
- (Standard Zhuang) IPA(key): /po˨˦/
- Tone numbers: bo1
- Hyphenation: bo
Noun edit
Zulu edit
Pronoun edit
-bo
- Combining stem of bona.