Bow

Bow
Recorded in the spellings of Bow, Bowe, and Bough, this is usually a surname of English origins. There are at least three possible sources. The first is that it is a metonymic occupational name for a maker or seller of bows, a vital trade in medieval times before the invention of gunpowder. If so the derivation is from the Old English pre 7th century word 'boga', meaning a bow, and ultimately from 'bugan' meaning to bend. The surname may also be topographical for someone living near a bridge, the word 'boga' in this case having acquired the meaning of an arch, as in the supposed resemblance of the arch to a drawn bow or locational for somebody who lived at a place called Bow, Bowe, or Bough, or at a house which had as its sign a bough from a tree. An early examples of the name recording is that of Richard atte Bowe in the registers known as the Calender of Letter Books of the City of London in the year 1306, Nicholas atte Boughe in the county of Somerset in 1327, and Elizabeth Bowe, christened at St Mary Lothbury, in the city of London in 1597. Lastly as Bowe and when recorded in Ireland, this is sometimes an anglicized form of the ancient Gaelic O' Buadhaigh, meaning a descendant of Buadhach, this being a personal name meaning "victorious". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Henry atte Bowe, in the county of Devon in the year 1298. This was during the reign of King Edward Ist of England, 1272 - 1307. Throughout the centuries, surnames in every country have continued to "develop" often leading to astonishing variants of the original spelling.

Surnames reference. 2013.

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  • bow — bow; bow·darc; bow·den; bow·dich·ia; bow·ditch; bow·dock; bow·el·less; bow·en·ite; bow·en s; bow·er barff; bow·er·ly; bow·et; bow·grace; bow·ing·ly; bow·kail; bow·legged; bow·less; bow·line; bow·man s; bow·ser; bow·sprit; bow·stave; bow·ster;… …   English syllables

  • Bow — Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. {{{image}}}   Sigles d une seule lettre   Sigles de deux lettres > Sigles de trois lettres …   Wikipédia en Français

  • bow — Ⅰ. bow [1] ► NOUN 1) a knot tied with two loops and two loose ends. 2) a weapon for shooting arrows, made of curved wood joined at both ends by a taut string. 3) a rod with horsehair stretched along its length, used for playing some stringed… …   English terms dictionary

  • Bow — may refer to: NOTOC *Bow (weapon) (pronounced IPA|boʊ), an archery weapon that uses elasticity to propel arrows *Bowing (social) (pronounced IPA|baʊ), to lower the head or the upper body *Bow (ship) (pronounced IPA|baʊ), the foremost point of the …   Wikipedia

  • bow — bow1 [bou] vi. [ME bouen < OE bugan, to bend < IE base * bheugh , to bend > Ger biegen; the BOW1 n. is 17th c.] 1. Dial. to bend or stoop 2. to bend down one s head or bend one s body in respect, agreement, worship, recognition, etc. 3.… …   English World dictionary

  • bow|er — bow|er1 «BOW uhr», noun, verb. –n. 1. a shelter of leafy branches. 2. an arbor. 3. a dwelling, especially a rustic abode. 4. Archaic. a bedroom. –v.t. to embower; enclose. ╂[Old English būr dwelling] –bow´er|like´, adjective …   Useful english dictionary

  • Bow — (b[=o]), n. [OE. bowe, boge, AS. boga, fr. AS. b[=u]gan to bend; akin to D. boog, G. bogen, Icel. bogi. See {Bow}, v. t.] [1913 Webster] 1. Anything bent, or in the form of a curve, as the rainbow. [1913 Webster] I do set my bow in the cloud. Gen …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bow — bezeichnet: Clara Bow (1905–1965), US amerikanische Schauspielerin Bow (London), Stadtteil im London Borough of Tower Hamlets Bow (New Hampshire), Ort in den Vereinigten Staaten Bow (Washington), Ort in den Vereinigten Staaten BOW steht für:… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Bow — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Bow puede referirse a: Geografía Bow, río canadiense. Bow, distrito londinense. Personas Clara Bow, actriz estadounidense de principios del siglo XX. Bow Wow, rapero estadounidense. Otros E bow, arco electrónico.… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Bow — (b[=o]), n. [Icel. b[=o]gr shoulder, bow of a ship. See {Bough}.] [1913 Webster] 1. (Naut.) The bending or rounded part of a ship forward; the stream or prow. [1913 Webster] 2. (Naut.) One who rows in the forward part of a boat; the bow oar.… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • bow to — ˈbow to [transitive] [present tense I/you/we/they bow to he/she/it bows to present participle bowing to past tense bowed to past participle …   Useful english dictionary

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