Page:An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language.djvu/58

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In the latter signification (to which MidHG. blocken, ‘to put in prison,’ is related) it represents OHG. bilóh (with syncopated i; see other similar examples under bei), ‘lock-up,’ which belongs to an OTeut. str. vb. lûkan, ‘to lock’ (comp. further E. lock; see Loch). The meaning ‘log, plank’ (MidHG. bloch), is probably based on a different word, which is most likely related to Balken; even in OHG., bloh occurs. The cognates passed into Rom. (Fr. bloc, bloquer), whence again ModHG. blockieren, E. to block.

blöde, adj., ‘weak, dim-sighted, imbecile,’ from MidHG. blœde, ‘infirm, weak, tender, timid,’ OHG. blôdi, OSax. blôði, ‘timid.’ Comp. AS. bleáþ, ‘weak,’ OIc. blauþr; Goth. *blauþus, ‘weak, powerless,’ may be inferred from its deriv. wk. vb. blauþjan, ‘to render powerless, invalid, to abolish.’ According to the permutation of consonants, the pre-Teut. form of the adj. may have been bhláutu-s, with the primary meaning ‘powerless, weak.’ Yet the stem cannot be traced farther back. From this word Fr. éblouir, ‘to dazzle,’ is borrowed.

blöken, vb., ‘to bleat,’ ModHG. simply, of LG. origin. Comp. LG. blöken, bleken, MidDu. bloiken.

blond, adj., ‘blonde, fair,’ from MidHG. blunt(d), ‘fair,’ which first appears when the Fr. influence began (about 1200 A.D.), and is undoubtedly of Fr. origin. Fr. blond, Ital. biondo, MidLat. blundus, give the impression that these words were borrowed from Teut., especially since other Teut. names of colours have been adopted by Rom. (comp. blau, blank, braun). The earlier periods of OTeut. have, however, no adj. blunda- The connection of MidLat. and Rom. blundo with blind (OIc. blunda) may be possible (comp. Lith. prý-blinde, ‘twilight’), especially as the meaning of the names of colours is variable.

bloß, adj., ‘bare, destitute, mere,’ from MidHG. blôȥ. ‘exposed, naked’; it corresponds to MidLG. and MidDu. bloot, ‘bare,’ AS. bleát, ‘poor, wretched’ (OIc. blautr, ‘soft, fresh, tender,’ as well as OHG. blôȥ, ‘proud,’ have a divergent meaning). On account of the UpG. and LG. blutt (dial.), Swed. blott, ‘unfledged, uncovered, unclad,’ the origin of Teut. blauto- ‘mere,’ is dubious. Perhaps blöde is a cognate.

blühen, vb., ‘to bloom, flower,’ from the equiv. MidHG. blüen, blüejen, OHG. bluojan; a wk. vb., which, however, judging by AS. blôwan (E. to blow), ‘to bloom,’

was formerly strong; Goth. *blôjan. the Teut. stem blô- has a wide ramification in particular dialects; the primary sense is ‘to bloom.’ It is further apparent in many words for Blatt (‘leaf’) and Blume (‘flower’); see the following word, where the non-Teut. cognates are discussed.

Blume, f., ‘blossom, flower,’ from MidHG. bluome, m., f., OHG. bluoma, f. (bluomo, m.); comp. OSax. blômo, Goth. blôma, AS. blôma, E. bloom. -man-is a deriv. suffix; the root blô (see blühen) shows that Blume is lit. ‘the blooming plant.’ The following are also Teut. cognates of Blume: — Du. bloesem (besides bloem), AS. blôstm, blôstma, E. blossom; perhaps their s belongs, however, to the root; this is indicated by MidDu. blôsen, ‘to bloom,’ which points to the close connection between E. blossom and Lat. florere for *flôsê-re, flôs (flôr-is for *flôsis). A root bhlô without this s appears in OIr. bláth, ‘blossom,’ E. dial. blooth, ‘flower.’ See further the following word, also Blüte and Blatt.

Blust, m. (Suab. and Swiss, bluešt, n.), from the equiv. MidHG. bluost, f., ‘blossom'; Goth. *blôs-ts is connected perhaps with the Aryan root bhlôs, ‘to bloom,’ preserved in AS. blôs-tma, Lat. flôrere (for *flôsere). See Blume and Blüte.

Blut, n., ‘blood, race,’ from the equiv. MidHG. bluot, OHG. bluot, n.; it corresponds regularly to Du. bloed, AS. blôd, E. blood. An OTeut. word meaning ‘blood,’ which is common to all the dialects; comp. Goth. blôþa- (for *blôda-). Pre-Teut. bhlâto- does not appear in any cognate language with the same meaning. The Aryan languages have no common word for blood. With respect to the Teut. word, it is still undecided whether it belongs to a root blô, ‘to bloom.’ Comp. also E. to bleed (for *blodjan). For Blutegel see Igel. Blut- in compounds like blutjung, blutarm, has nothing to do with Blut, but is dial. with the meaning ‘bare, naked’; UpG. and LG. blutt.

blutrünstig, see rünstig.

blutt, see blöde.

Blüte, f., ‘blossom, bloom, prime,’ from the plur. of the equiv. MidHG. bluot, plur. blüete, OHG. bluot, plur. bluoti, f.; Goth. *blôþs, AS. blêd. See blühen, Blume, Blust, Blut, and Blatt.

Bocher, Jew., ‘youth, student,’ from Hebr. bachûr, ‘youth.’

Bock, m., ‘buck, he-goat, ram,’ from