Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2(pesnta.1.2) 9/5/84; site scc.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!amd!dual!qantel!intelca!hplabs!pesnta!scc!steiny From: steiny@scc.UUCP (Don Steiny) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: ``bozo'' -- an etymology Message-ID: <175@scc.UUCP> Date: Wed, 3-Oct-84 13:11:20 EDT Article-I.D.: scc.175 Posted: Wed Oct 3 13:11:20 1984 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Oct-84 20:37:51 EDT References: <315@amdahl.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Personetics, Inc. - Santa Cruz, Calif. Lines: 30 > > After looking thru two language books I found an etymology for > ``bozo'': "from Sp. dial. `boso' (from `vosotros') = you (pl.), > which resembles a direct address" [such as `you guys']. > The definition given is "A man; fellow; guy; esp. a large, rough > man with more brawn than brains." (this is from 1960). > Very strange - my "American Heritage Dictionary" says Possibly from Spanish *bozo*, "down growing on the cheeks of youths." The "University of Chicago Spanish Dictionary" has "bozo", but not "boso" or anything close. Of course, it is probably dialectal and inflected, so that does not mean anything. The American Heritage Dictionary is newer and has much greater attention to etomology than Webster's. It has a dictionary of Proto Indo-European in the back and when possible gives the original Indo-European word that a word is a reflex of. -- scc!steiny Don Steiny - Personetics @ (408) 425-0382 109 Torrey Pine Terr. Santa Cruz, Calif. 95060 ihnp4!pesnta -\ fortune!idsvax -> scc!steiny ucbvax!twg -/