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FourWinds F
FourWinds Jul 17, 2004 16:43:24
Replying to TomBo

The Welsh <i>bwg</i> for goblin cannot be traced beyond the 1500's and is assumed to come from the Middle English <i>bugge</i> which meant a goblin or a scarecrow and can be traced to 1395.

There's also <i>bocán</i>, which is Irish for a he-goat and <i>bocan</i> which is Irish for hobgoblin. The Irish also had a goatlike battlefield wandering being called a <i>bocanách</i>.

It is assumed that the English bugge derives from the Gaelic bocan, so why the 'experts' think the Welsh bwg comes from the English is anyone's guess (except that bugge is known in earlier English texts).

Still seems arse about tit to me.

T TomBo
TomBo Jul 17, 2004 17:32:52
Replying to FourWinds

"Still seems arse about tit to me."

You're right, it is arse about tit. It's important to remember that linguists don't actually *know* the origin of any word, all there is is the best theory that appears to fit the facts. It surprises me that they've not tried to claim a Greco-Roman origin for it, that's usually where linguists look when they don't know a word's origin (as if the British/Irish couldn't invent words of their own, but needed the "enlightened" classical world to show us how to speak).

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