Where does “bogeyman” come from?

bogeyman (English) comes from English bogey, from Middle English bugge, from Proto-Germanic bugja-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

bogeyman (English): A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's...

Definitions

  1. A menacing, ghost-like monster in children's...

Ancestry of “bogeyman”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbogeyThe Devil; A ghost, goblin, or other hostile...
2Middle Englishbuggebogy, hobgoblin, bugbear; scarecrow
3Proto-Germanicbugja-swollen up, thick
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

Words derived from “bogeyman”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bugja- →Every word from Middle English bugge →