The letter “B” has quite a backstory on route to its destination in the English alphabet. Its equivalent second letter in Phoenician, beth, was part of that ancient language’s alphabet more than 3000 years ago. It looked a little different, but it made the same sound as “B”/”b”. The shape of the letter resembled the floor plan of a house, and the word beth meant “house.” In Hebrew, the letter was called beth, bet or bayt which also means “house.” (‘The Letter B Once Had A Much Longer Name’, (2014), www.dictionary.com). Here’s a far from definitive selection of unusual, obscure and archaic words beginning with “B” – useful additions to the vocabulary of any budding lexiphile, logophile or verbivore out there.
Word | Meaning | Derivation |
Babeldom | a confused sound of noise | ME babble + OE -dōm ('state') |
Bacchanal | drunkard; reveller | L bacchanalis (from the god Bacchus) |
Bahadur | self-important official | Persian bahādur ('brave', 'valiant') |
Balatron | joker; clown | L balatrō ('jester'; 'buffoon') 嵐 |
Barmecide | an insincere benefactor (someone who promises but doesn't deliver) | Per Barmeki ('The Arabian Nights', family name) |
Barratry | inciting riot or violence | OF Barraterie (der from 'deceive') |
Bathykolpian | deep-bosomed | Gk bathys ('deep') + kolpos ('breast') |
Bedswerver | an unfaithful spouse | Eng (17th, Shakespeare |
Benedict | benign; a newly-married after being a long-time bachelor | L bene ('good') + -dicte ('speak') |
Bersatrix | babysitter | Fr berseaux ('cradle') + trix (fem. suffix) |
Bibliognost | well-read individual: person with a wide knowledge of books | Gk biblio ('book') + -gnōstēs ('one who knows'j |
Bodacious | remarkable; unmistakable; sexy; voluptuous | Eng 'bold' + 'audacious' |
Boursocrat | Stock exchange official | origin unknown |
Brio | enthusiastic vigour | It 'mettle'; 'fire'; 'life' |
Bromaphile | lover of food; a "foodie" | Gk brôma ('food') + -phile ('lover') |
Bromopnea | bad breath | Gk brômos ('stink') + nea |
Brumal | wintry; of, like or pertaining to winter 略 | L brūmalīs ('relating to the winter solstice') |
Burrole | an eavesdropper | origin unknown |
Bywoner | agricultural labourer | Afrikaans from Mid Dutch bi + ('dweller') |
ADDENDUM | ||
Barbigerous | bearded; bearing a beard 倫♂️ | L barbiger ("beard"; + -gero ('bearing') |
Bavian | baboon; insignificant or unskilled poet | D baviaan |
Belliferous | bringing war | L bellum ('war') + ferō ('to bear') |
Bloviate | talk at length in empty, pompous, inflated fashion | Eng (19th. 'blow' (as in boasting, orig. to describe politicians) |
Brobdingnagian | immense in size; gigantic | Eng (18th. novel by Jonathan Swift ✍️ |
