• bode •
Pronunciation: bowd • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: To portend, predict, suggest for the future, augur, forebode, be an omen of.
Notes: This is an authentic English word (not borrowed), which means it has only a personal noun, boder and the present participle, boding, serves as adjective and action noun. If you wish to emphasize the predictive aspect of the word, try forebode.
In Play: This word's connotations are mostly unfavorable: "The black clouds on the horizon bode disaster for the Sunday School picnic." Not and well are two words often associated with it: "That T-shirt does not bode well for the future of our relationship."
Word History: In Old English today's Good Word appeared as bodian "to proclaim, announce", based on boda "messenger", which descended through English's Germanic ancestors from PIE bheudh-/bhoudh- "(to be) aware, awaken, pay attention", source also of Sanskrit bodhati "wakens, awakes, becomes aware", the past participle of which is buddha- "enlightened, aware", Greek (poetic) peuthomai "I learn, find out", Albanian pyes "to ask" and pyetje "question", Russian budit' "to wake up", Serbian buditi "wake up", Polish budzić "to wake up", Lithuanian pabusti "to wake up", Welsh bodd "will, consent", English bid, German bieten "to offer", and Dutch bieden "to offer". (It would not bode well for us were we to omit a word of gratitude to Eileen Opiolka for bringing up today's rather shady Good Word.)
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