Pronounced: HEH-nuh-thee-ih-zuhm, noun
Notes: Interesting word
Yesterday’s word
The word bauchle, as a noun, means
- an old, worn-out shoe
- Something useless or worn out
- A useless person; a fool
As a verb, it means “to subject to disgrace or contempt”
First usage
Our word came into English in the late 1400s
Background / Comments
Our word comes from Scotland; it is thought it originated from bauch (inferior or substandard). We can see the change in meanings in the noun forms above – first it was specific to an old shoe, and then generalized to anything worn out or useless, and then it expanded to people. Finally, a regional pronunciation comment: I grew up in the Midwest, and the “a” in “father” and the “o” in “cot” sounded the same to me growing up. Now, I generally don’t think about the difference, but I can see that the “a” in “father” can be pronounced with a slight grin, while the “o” in “cot” can be pronounced like a long “o” but with the mouth opened farther.
