Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “bogey” come from?

bogey (French) 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...

bogey (French): bogey

Definitions

  1. bogey

Ancestry of “bogey”, 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...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →