2251: boor & boer Feb 12, 2021

In the same way as 'villain' has only negative connotations today but once denoted peasant farmers, the same process occurred with the word 'boor' or also 'boorish'. Though perhaps not quite as evil, it is still is by no means positive, referring to an ill-mannered person. This word is also originally borrowed, here from the Dutch 'boer' meaning 'farmer', as in the South African Boers (e.g. "Boer Wars"). This root is actually fairly far reaching and led to other words like 'bower' (i.e. birdcage) or the Dutch 'buur' ('neighbor'), the -by suffix denoting habitation (e.g. Selby, Whitby).