Where does “butzemann” come from?
butzemann (German) comes from German Butz, from German bützen, from Middle High German butzen, from Middle High German bōʒen, from Old High German bōzan, from Proto-West Germanic bautan, from Proto-Germanic bautaną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰewd- — to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to...
butzemann (German): bogeyman
Definitions
- bogeyman
Ancestry of “butzemann”, step by step
butzemann traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German Butz
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Butz | apple core; goblin |
| 2 | German | bützen | to kiss |
| 3 | Middle High German | butzen | — |
| 4 | Middle High German | bōʒen | — |
| 5 | Old High German | bōzan | to beat |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | bautan | to beat |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bautaną | to beat, push |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewd- | to hit, strike; to beat, push; to strike, push,... |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰew- | to grow, swell; to swell, wax, grow; to blow; to... |