Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “böse” come from?

böse (German) comes from Middle High German bœse, from Old High German bōsi, from Proto-West Germanic *bausī, from Proto-Germanic bausuz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

böse (German): evil; malicious; wicked; bad; naughty; angry

Definitions

  1. evil; malicious; wicked; bad; naughty; angry

Ancestry of “böse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germanbœse—
2Old High Germanbōsi—
3Proto-West Germanic*bausī—
4Proto-Germanicbausuzinflated; swollen; puffed up; proud; arrogant;...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰew-to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...

Words derived from “böse”

  • Bösewicht
  • Bosheit
  • bitterböse
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰew- →