boef

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch boef, boeve, bouve, from Old Dutch *buovo, from Proto-Germanic *bōbô, a reduplicated form of *bō- (“father, brother, male relative”).

Cognate with English bub, Pennsylvania Dutch Bub, German Bube, Icelandic bófi (“rogue, knave”). Related also to English babe, English boy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /buf/

• Audio

  (file)

• Hyphenation: boef
• Rhymes: -uf

Noun

boef m (plural boeven, diminutive boefje n)

1. crook, thief, thug
2. rascal, scamp

Synonyms

• (thief): dief

Derived terms

• baanboef
• boevengilde
• boevenstreek
• boeventaal
• boeventronie
• boevenwereld
• geboefte
• suzannaboef

 

Descendants

• Afrikaans: boef
• → Papiamentu: buf