bugan

English

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbʊɡən/, /ˈbuːɡən/, /ˈbʌɡən/
• Rhymes: -uːɡən

Noun

bugan (plural bugans)

1. hobgoblin, evil spirit

Anagrams

• Abung, buang, unbag

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/,

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)
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Ash-Wednesday"

     ...þæt is būh fram yfele and dō gōd.

     ...'Turn from evil, and do good.'

   • late 10th century, Ælfric, the Old English Hexateuch, Numbers 14:3

     Nis ūs lā betere þæt wē būgen onġēan tō Ēgypta lande?

     Isn't it better for us to turn back to Egypt?

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Epiphany of the Lord"

     Sē þe fram Gode bȳġþ tō Dēofle, hē forlīest Godes ġiefe.

     People who turn from God to the Devil, they lose God's grace.

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.

   • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Paul the Apostle"

     Þa, mid ðisum wordum, feollon swylce fylmena of his eagum, and he ðærrihte gesihðe underfeng, and to fulluhte bēah.

     Then with these words there fell as it were films from his eyes, and he straightways received sight, and submitted to baptism.

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.

7. to incline
   • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint George, Martyr"

     Nāst þū lā Geori þæt ūre godas swincað mid þē and ġit hī synd ġeþyldiġe þæt hī þe miltsion. Nū lǣre ic ðē swā swā lēofne sunu þæt ðū þæra cristenra lāre forlǣte mid ealle and tō mīnum rǣde hraðe ġebūge swā þæt ðū offriġe þām ārwurðan Appoline and þū mycelne wurðmynt miht swā beġitan.

     Knowest thou not, O George, that our gods are striving with thee, and even yet they are patient, that they may pity thee; now I exhort thee, as a beloved son, that thou altogether quit the Christians' doctrine, and quickly incline to my counsel, so that thou sacrifice to the venerable Apollo, and thou mayest so obtain great honour.

Usage notes

• The transitive equivalent is bīeġan.

Conjugation

Derived terms

Related terms

• bēag
• bōg
• boga
• byġe
• byht

Descendants

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

Old Saxon

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *beugan.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbuːɣɑn/

Verb

būgan

1. to bend, bow (down)

Conjugation

Descendants

• Middle Low German: būgen
  • Low German: bugen