Is the word "bubo", the iincredibly large swollen lymph glands resulting from the bubonic plague, related in some way to the word "bubble"?  It seems to me that it might be, based upon spelling and sound.  It also seems this way since "to bubble" means to grow bigger, and "bubo" comes from Greek boubon, menaing "groin/swelling"

- Robby

According to my favorite online etymology site:

bubble - 1398, perhaps from M.Du. bobbel (n.) and/or M.L.G. bubbeln (v.), all probably of echoic origin. Bubble bath first recorded 1949; bubble-gum is from 1937. Of financial schemes originally in South Sea Bubble (1599), on notion of "fragile and insubstantial." Bubbly "champagne" is attested from 1920, shortened from bubbly water (1910).

So, apparently, no connection…?

Where’s Ilka with her Duden?  ;D

-Tim

The AHD says that "bubble" is "[From Middle English bubelen, to bubble.]"  whilst "bubo is "[Middle English, from Late Latin bubo, bubon-, from Greek boubon, groin, swelling.]

From the way the etymology is written, it looks to me as if "bubo" is the Middle English word.  If it is, it is quite different from the Middle English word "bubelen" for bubble, but perhaps there is a common PIE root "bu-," although I wouldn’t know.