# Etymology of "boo"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257 "2010-07-19T19:11:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/1 "2010-07-19T19:11:44Z")
According to TVTropes > [@](#): > > Boh, one of Odin’s sons and generals from Norse myth, was so fierce and powerful that the mere mention of his name struck fear into the hearts of his enemies. This led to Viking warriors shouting his name when launching a surprise attack, which is where the word “boo” comes from. Thanks to Snopes, I’ve learned to be suspicious of such etymologies, and shouting “boo” in particular seems unlikely, but I thought I’d ask. And there’s no better place to ask than here. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/2 "2010-07-19T19:46:30Z")
The OED says it comes from “bo.” > [@oed](#): > > [A combination of consonant and vowel especially fitted to produce a loud and startling sound: cf. L. bo-re, Gr. - to cry aloud, roar, shout.] So there are similar constructions in Latin and Greek. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/3 "2010-07-19T21:38:41Z")
Latin _boare_ and Greek _βοάω_ both mean to cry aloud (usually a loud sound). Incidentally, this verb is likely the source for the noun _bos_ - “ox/bull”–from which the English word “bovine” is derived. I never really thought cows were that scary:-) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/4 "2010-07-19T21:47:07Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > I never really thought cows were that scary:-) You should meet my sister in law. ---
**Author:** ![PsyXe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@PsyXe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PsyXe)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/5 "2010-07-19T22:32:52Z")
It seems highly likely that the combination of sounds in “boo” is chosen specifically to be loud and startling (how about bang! and bah!) which would make it a possible candidate for this thread: [Are there any universal vocal exclamations? - Factual Questions - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=571430) It probably also means that the above etymology is mostly wrong,and that Boh derived most of his fearsomeness from the pronunciation of his name 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/6 "2010-07-20T16:16:33Z")
> [@](#): > > Boh, one of Odin’s sons and generals from Norse myth, was so fierce and powerful that the mere mention of his name struck fear into the hearts of his enemies. This led to Viking warriors shouting his name when launching a surprise attack, which is where the word “boo” comes from. Not that I am an expert on Norse mythology, but I’d shamelessly say total BS. ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/7 "2010-07-21T03:10:05Z")
I figured that was the case. ---
**Author:** ![Kilmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a6a055/32.png) [@Kilmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilmore)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/8 "2010-07-21T05:36:14Z")
I thought it came from authentic ghost vocabulary. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/9 "2010-07-21T17:29:05Z")
> [@CJJ](#): > > I never really thought cows were that scary:-) Pre-domestication, they were quite impressive - just look up the [aurochs](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs). Bulls are used in imagery throughout the ancient Middle East, often alongside lions and eagles. Wildebeest are not exactly the same as pre-domesticated cattle, but are probably a decent example ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/10 "2010-07-21T18:22:02Z")
While I think the onomatopoeia explanation, I wanted to add this tidbit of etymological history: From [Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Captain Grose](http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext04/dcvgr10.txt), published 1811 > [@](#): > > **BOH**. Said to be the name of a Danish general, who so terrified his opponent Foh, that he caused him to bewray himself. Whence, when we smell a stink, it is custom to exclaim, Foh! i.e. I smell general Foh. He cannot say Boh to a goose; i.e. he is a cowardly or sheepish fellow. There is a story related of the celebrated Ben Jonson, who always dressed very plain; that being introduced to the presence of a nobleman, the peer, struck by his homely appearance and awkward manner, exclaimed, as if in doubt, “you Ben Johnson! why you look as if you could not say Boh to a goose!” “Boh!” replied the wit. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/11 "2010-07-22T09:17:05Z")
TvTropes’s idea is that, since they aren’t trying to be a serious source of information, it’s okay if something false gets mentioned. Someone smarter will come along and fix it. If you edit there, pop up and say hi. I’m BigT there, as well. I wanted to make it feel like a name, so everywhere I signed up for at that time, I used that name. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/12 "2010-07-23T19:36:44Z")
It’s also an easy word for babies to say. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/etymology-of-boo/547257/13 "2010-07-23T19:59:49Z")
Well, the word Barbarian is famously derived from how Greeks would mockingly imitate the [sounds of foreign tongues](http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=barbarian) (“echoic of unintelligible speech of foreigners”) - bar bar bar bar…those ancient Greeks, they kill me. Anyway, if “bar bar” were go-to nonsense syllables back in the day, it doesn’t take much to see how “boo” would end up being a way to make a startling sound… My $.02