Sunday, March 28, 2010

Bulvan - Word of The Day

English has a huge lexicon - a nice word in itself. The word lexicon definition   lexi·con (lek′si kän′)
Etymology: Gr lexikon, neut. of lexikos, of words < lexis, a saying, phrase, word < legein: see logic   noun
  1. a dictionary, esp. of an ancient language
  2. the special vocabulary of a particular author, field of study, etc.
  3. a record or inventory a notable case in the lexicon of subversion
  4. Linguis. the total stock of morphemes in a language
But actually,  today's word is  bulvan or bolvan , a Yiddish word meaning dummy. Yiddish is a very colorful language using words from German, Hebrew, Russian and several others.
It means all of these words in English, more or less at the same time:
blockhead,  bonehead, booby, bubblehead, bullhead , cabbagehead, clod [colloq.], dimwit , dolt, dope [colloq.], dummy, dunce, dunderhead [colloq.], fool, , goof [colloq.], loggerhead [colloq.], moron, nerd [sl.], nincompoop [colloq.], stupid
It's quite insulting.  Etymology: From the  Russian болван -  blockhead, booby, chump, dolt, doodle, goon, mutt  and also -  blockhead (noun), dunce, oaf, dolt, numskull, numbskull, booby, imbecile, clodpate, lubber-head , loggerhead , jolterhead , block , blockhead , berk , lunkhead , beetle-head , blunderhead , chuckle-head , chump , pudding-head , mutton-head , doodle , dope , clot , dumbbell , goof , lump , dumbhead , loghead , nerd , lardhead , prat , peahead , numbhead , jackass, cretin, pumpkin, goon , bullhead , chowderhead , woodenhead , leather-head , flat , chunk , beefhead , boob , fathead , airhead , dunderhead , pumpkin-head , blunt , pea-brain , loogan , hardhead , mutt , cheese
As you see there are many words for stupid - not as many for smart.  :) 



1 comment:

Administrator said...

My mother used the word "bulvan" from time to time.

I can just see her saying it now -- usually to describe a big oaf -- someone whom she did not respect because he was big and stupid.

It's interesting, too, that she probably got this word from HER mother, who was Russian.