Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “blague” come from?

blague (English) comes from French blague, from Dutch balg, from Middle Dutch balch, from Old Dutch balg, from Proto-West Germanic *balgi, from Proto-Germanic balgiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.

blague (English): mendacious boasting; falsehood; humbug

Definitions

  1. mendacious boasting; falsehood; humbug

Ancestry of “blague”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchblaguepouch; joke; a penis
2Dutchbalgleather bag; bellows; fake bait for training...
3Middle Dutchbalchbelly; abdomen; leather bag
4Old Dutchbalg—
5Proto-West Germanic*balgi—
6Proto-Germanicbalgizbag
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵʰ-to swell
8Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →