Source etymology 1
Original entry ↗A bobbing motion; a quick up and down movement. · A curtsy. · A bobber (buoyant fishing device). · Any of various hesperiid butterflies.
To move gently and vertically, in either a single motion or repeatedly up and down, at or near the surface of a body of water, or similar medium. · To move (something) as though it were bobbing in water. · To perform oral sex on someone. · To curtsy.
From Middle English bobben (“to move up and down or back and forth”), of uncertain origin. Compare Scots bob (“to mark, dance with a bobbing motion”), Icelandic boppa (“to wave up and down”), Swedish bobba (“to bob”), Faroese bøbbur (“something that rises or stands up; top”), Dutch dobberen (“to float, bob”).
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
- Derivation mentionbobbenenm · to move up and down or back and forth
- Cognate mentionbobsco · to mark, dance with a bobbing motion
- Cognate mentionboppais · to wave up and down
- Cognate mentionbobbasv · to bob
- Cognate mentionbøbburfo · something that rises or stands up; top
- Cognate mentiondobberennl · to float, bob
This page abbreviates 2 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
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"A bobbing motion; a quick up and down movement.",
"A curtsy.",
"A bobber (buoyant fishing device).",
"Any of various hesperiid butterflies."
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