Where does “boef” come from?

boef (Dutch) comes from Middle Dutch boef, from Old Dutch buovo, from Proto-Germanic bōbô, from Proto-Germanic bō-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰā- — to say.

boef (Dutch): crook, thief, thug; rascal, scamp

Definitions

  1. crook, thief, thug; rascal, scamp

Ancestry of “boef”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchboef—
2Old Dutchbuovo—
3Proto-Germanicbōbô—
4Proto-Germanicbō-A stem meaning "father, brother, close male...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰā-to say

Words derived from “boef”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰā- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bō- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bōbô →
boef — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer