Need some help from Serb (or anyone who speaks a slavic language)

[Bosh]

I'm trying to figure out the etymology of my last name (its Boshko surprisingly enough). The old story that I got from my family was that it probably meant barrel-maker (ie Carter). However, I don't think that's the case because it shows up as a Serbian first name, including that of historic nobility (Boshko Yugovich) which wouldn't make too much sense if it just meant barrel-maker.

The other theory that I got from my grandmother was that the Bo (or possibly the Bosh) prefix might possibly mean "God," like the Bog prefix of Bogdan, but that sounds pretty sketchy too. Also both my Russian history prof and a russian who worked for the housing people at my university said that Boshko sounded like a very Ukrainian name, despite my family coming from the Pripet Marshes in western Belorus (which isn't that far from the Ukraine I guess...).

Anyone have any ideas?

thanks!

[FrustratedPoet]

The name for a barrel maker in this country is/was "Cooper". Just FYI, I have no other help to give. This is also a bump. Have a nice day.

[Harovan]

It means nothing directly, but it may be derived from Bog (God) indeed, like in "Boshe moj" (Oh my God).

[Ecthy]

my parents speak polish

[Az]

I know that Boshka is street russian for a person's head.

Bog is the world for god in russian. bojok could be a small god. but it's boJko and not BoSHko.

the 'ko' ending definetly sounds ukrainian.

[Harovan]

Car polish? Or furniture polish?

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Azazel
I know that Boshka is street russian for a person's head.

AFAIK that's written Bashka. And many non-english languages translate they letter zhe (like in zhuk) not with "j" (which might be mistaken with i-kratkoe) or "zh", but with "sh".

[Bereta_Eder]

I always thought Boshko was the name of a squirell

[Ecthy]

Proper polish.

[Az]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph


AFAIK that's written Bashka.

nope. It's Boshka.

And many non-english languages translate they letter zhe (like in zhuk) not with "j" (which might be mistaken with i-kratkoe) or "zh", but with "sh".

zh would make sense, perhaps, but 'sh' is a totally different sound.

[Ecthy]

zh like jungle

sh like shyte

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Azazel
nope. It's Boshka.

According to my wife (russian, but with ukrainian roots) it's bashka. It's not a real word, though, but more or less slang.

zh would make sense, perhaps, but 'sh' is a totally different sound.

As I said, a matter of transcription. In German, for instance, the "zhuk" letter is transcripted "sh", and the "shkola" letter "sch".

[Az]

and 'C' like ********er.

[Az]

yay! the autocensor is ****ed!

[Ecthy]

why? wouldn't that be 'k'?