English

Etymology

From Welsh bwgan (hobgoblin), from Middle Welsh, possibly from Middle English bugge.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbʊɡən/, /ˈbuːɡən/, /ˈbʌɡən/

Noun

bugan (plural bugans)

  1. hobgoblin, evil spirit

Anagrams


Cebuano

Etymology

Shortened form of bulogan.

Pronunciation

  • Hyphenation: bu‧gan

Noun

búgan

  1. (anatomy) the groin

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:bugan.


Old English

Etymology

From Proto-Germanic *beuganą. Cognate with Old Saxon būgan, Old High German biogan, Gothic 𐌱𐌹𐌿𐌲𐌰𐌽 (biugan).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈbuː.ɡɑn/, [ˈbuː.ɣɑn]

Verb

būgan (intransitive)

  1. to bend
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Mark 1:7
      Strengra cymþ æfter mē, þæs ne eom iċ wierðe þæt iċ his sċōna þwanga būgende oncnytte.
      Someone stronger is coming after me, who I'm unfit to bend down and untie the straps of his sandals.
  2. to bow
    • c. 992, Ælfric, "Sermon on the Nativity of Our Lord"
      Hē wæs ācenned on þæs cāseres dagum þe wæs Octaviānus ġehāten, sē ġerȳmde Rōmāna rīċe tō þon swīðe þæt him eall middanġeard tō bēag.
      He was born in the days of the emperor Octavian, who expanded the Roman Empire so much that the whole world bowed to him.
  3. to turn (toward or away from something)
  4. to yield, give way
  5. to submit
    • Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Manuscript A, year 912
      Þā fōr Ēadweard cyning mid sumum his fultume on Ēastseaxan tō Mǣldūne and wīcode þǣr þā hwīle þe man þā burg worhte and ġetimbrede æt Withām, and him bēag gōd dǣl þæs folces tō þe ǣr under Denisċra manna anwealde wǣron.
      Then King Edward traveled with some of his forces to Maldon in Essex, and encamped there while the fortifications were being built in Witham, and a good portion of the people submitted to him who had been living under Danish rule.
  6. to withdraw, retire
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, John 5:13
      Sē þe þǣr ġehǣled wæs nysse hwā hit wæs: sē Hǣlend sōðlīċe bēag fram þǣre ġaderunge.
      The person who was healed didn't know who it was: Jesus had withdrawn from the crowd.
    • c. 1932, J. R. R. Tolkien, Old English version of the "Annals of Beleriand"
      Morgoþ mid þȳ þe lēoht ætīewde bēag on his dēopostan ġedelf, ac siþþan smiðode þǣr fela þinga dearnunga and sende forþ sweartne smīeċ.
      Morgoth at the coming of the light withdrew into his deepest dungeons, but there he smithied many things in secret, and sent forth black smoke.

Usage notes

Conjugation

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Middle English: bowen, bouȝen, buȝen, bouwen, buwen, bowe
    • English: (to) bow
    • Scots: boo

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *beugan.

Pronunciation

Verb

būgan

  1. to bend, bow (down)

Conjugation

Descendants