*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of gobo

Uncertain; possibly from go-b(etween) (“intermediary, middleman”) + -o (suffix forming informal terms).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A screen (often in disc form) placed between a light and an illuminated actor or object in order to diffuse the glare. · A device used to shield a microphone from extraneous sounds. · A template inserted over a light source to control the shape of the thrown light.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain; possibly from go-b(etween) (“intermediary, middleman”) + -o (suffix forming informal terms).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "screen"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "uncertain",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "suffix"
      },
      "expansion": "suffix"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "informal"
      },
      "expansion": "informal"
    },
    {
      "name": "suffix",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "go-between",
        "3": "o",
        "alt1": "go-b(etween)",
        "t1": "intermediary, middleman",
        "pos2": "suffix forming informal terms"
      },
      "expansion": "go-b(etween) (“intermediary, middleman”) + -o (suffix forming informal terms)"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "go-b(etween)",
      "go-between#English"
    ],
    [
      "-o",
      "-o#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A screen (often in disc form) placed between a light and an illuminated actor or object in order to diffuse the glare.",
        "A device used to shield a microphone from extraneous sounds.",
        "A template inserted over a light source to control the shape of the thrown light."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "7bfaca9e9a5b0354b1e18ab88e17fcdb9caa1b832c754c812d5f1d73305c8c4f",
      "rawRecordSha256": "139b3277f74d678e8d5af868e1ab40559b3c4d67832e3d6c905e7647aaa845fd",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4159997
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

The taproot of young edible burdock plants (Arctium lappa), eaten as a root vegetable.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Borrowed from Japanese ごぼう, ゴボウ, 牛蒡 (gobō, “burdock (Arctium lappa); burdock root”), from Middle Chinese 牛蒡 (ŋɨu pɑŋ^X, “burdock”) (modern Mandarin 牛蒡 (niúbàng)), from 牛 (ŋɨu, “ox”) + 蒡 (pɑŋ^X, a word only appearing in the compound 牛蒡), possibly because oxen have been observed eating the leaves of the plant when recovering from illness.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymid",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "burdock"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "vern",
      "args": {
        "1": "edible burdock"
      },
      "expansion": "edible burdock"
    },
    {
      "name": "taxfmt",
      "args": {
        "1": "Arctium lappa",
        "2": "species"
      },
      "expansion": "Arctium lappa"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ja",
        "3": "ごぼう"
      },
      "expansion": "Japanese ごぼう"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "X"
      },
      "expansion": "^X"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ltc",
        "3": "牛蒡",
        "tr": "ŋɨu pɑŋ^X",
        "t": "burdock"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle Chinese 牛蒡 (ŋɨu pɑŋ^X, “burdock”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "cmn",
        "2": "牛蒡",
        "tr": "niúbàng"
      },
      "expansion": "Mandarin 牛蒡 (niúbàng)"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "X"
      },
      "expansion": "^X"
    },
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "compound"
      },
      "expansion": "compound"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "¹"
    },
    {
      "name": "sup",
      "args": {
        "1": "2"
      },
      "expansion": "²"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "taproot",
      "taproot"
    ],
    [
      "young",
      "young#Adjective"
    ],
    [
      "plants",
      "plant#Noun"
    ],
    [
      "Arctium lappa",
      "Arctium lappa#Translingual"
    ],
    [
      "eaten",
      "eat#Verb"
    ],
    [
      "root vegetable",
      "root vegetable"
    ],
    [
      "ごぼう",
      "ごぼう#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "ゴボウ",
      "ゴボウ#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "牛蒡",
      "牛蒡#Japanese"
    ],
    [
      "牛蒡",
      "牛蒡#Middle_Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "牛蒡",
      "牛蒡#Mandarin"
    ],
    [
      "牛",
      "牛#Middle_Chinese"
    ],
    [
      "蒡",
      "蒡#Middle_Chinese"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The taproot of young edible burdock plants (Arctium lappa), eaten as a root vegetable."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "recordId": "2a5d6166f32a76b176c2ee3dc226563ba1eccfe8ca4e7b735fa08f5cf3258abb",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ab2f012ccc61be69dd5a8f10c6b8429352919fad987989e9d02ad6449086989b",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 4159998
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
    "templates": 0,
    "links": 0,
    "references": 0,
    "descendants": 0,
    "lexicalRecords": 0,
    "lexicalSenses": 0,
    "glosses": 0
  }
}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for gobo →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Z29ibw