Where does “bou” come from?

bou (Afrikaans) comes from Dutch bouwen, from Middle Dutch bouwen, from Old Dutch buwan, from Proto-West Germanic *būan, from Proto-Germanic būaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.

bou (Afrikaans): to build; building, construction; structure

Definitions

  1. to build; building, construction; structure

Ancestry of “bou”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchbouwento build, to construct; to cultivate, to till
2Middle Dutchbouwento build, to found; to till, to work; to inhabit,...
3Old Dutchbuwan—
4Proto-West Germanic*būan—
5Proto-Germanicbūanąto dwell, reside
6Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →
bou — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer