Etymograph

English

busk

Busk may come from French busquer.

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentbusqueruncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1827busk

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history uncertain.

Lineage

  1. Frenchc. 1600–presentbusqueruncertain
  2. Englishearliest quotation 1827busk

Earliest quotation: 1827, Robert Pollok: “The frothy orator, who busked his tales In quackish…”

Every English word from French busquer

Another origin of busk

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to swell, grow’uncertain
  2. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*buskaz‘wood, bush’uncertain
  3. Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CE*buscum‘wood, bush’uncertain
  4. Old Spanishc. 950–1500buscar‘to look for’
  5. Spanishc. 1500–presentsame form‘to seek, search for, look for, try to find, to scour’
  6. Italianc. 1300–presentbuscareas busco‘splinter’
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentbusc‘busk (of corset)’
  8. Englishtodaybusk

Another origin of busk

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰuH-‘to be, grow’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰúHt‘to become’reconstructed
  3. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*būaną‘to dwell, reside’reconstructed
  4. Old Norsec. 800–1350búa‘to prepare’
  5. Old Norse, derivedc. 800–1350búaskreflexive of búa
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500busken‘to dress, wear, or equip’
  7. Englishtodaybusk

Today it means

verb To solicit money by entertaining the public in the street or in public transport.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / French busquer / busk

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