Baja, Baya, Insects ???

[Ken Kinman]

      I am no expert at word origins (etymology), but my guess would be that
it comes from some ancient word meaning "lowly".  Baja in Spanish means
"Lower" (Baja California = Lower California).
      It would not surprise me in the least if the word "bug" might not also
come from an ancient word meaning "lowly" or even "bad".
                    My two cents worth, Ken
********************************************************
>From: Prirodoslovni muzej Split <primust at ST.TEL.HR>
>Reply-To: Prirodoslovni muzej Split <primust at ST.TEL.HR>
>To: TAXACOM at USOBI.ORG
>Subject: Baja, Baya, Insects ???
>Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 12:43:13 +0200
>
>Dear Friends
>I am interested in origin of word of "baja". This word is common in Bosnia
>and in some parts of Croatian local population, and it is how some of our
>people call the insects, mostly coleoptera.
>We are spelling "baja" like this words: B=Bicycle, A=Answer, J=Yard,
>A=Answer, and we pronounce it like we spell it. [BAJA=BAYA]
>What do you think now? Do you know for some similar word?
>I think that the word must be of ancient oriental or even preroman origin
>and I hope that some Albanian, Turkish, Arabian or even Indian (Sanskrt) or
>Indonesian entomologist can confirm it to me and to explain the real
>meaning of the word if there is some meaning at all. Can you describe what
>does it mean, the roots of this word, please.
>Dear Friends
>My best wishes
>
>Boze Kokan
>Prirodoslovni muzej i zoolo¹ki vrt Split
>p.p.376
>21 000 Split
>Croatia
>Europe
>primust at st.tel.hr
>tel/fax: ++385/21460-989

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