# բոշա
## Armenian
### Alternative forms

* բոշայ (bošay), բօշայ (bōšay) — traditional orthography

### Alternative forms

According to Vrtanes Papazian, likely derives from the dialectal word բոշ (boš, “idle; useless”). But according to Voskanian, that is a folk etymology.

### Pronunciation

* (Eastern Armenian) IPA: /boˈʃɑ/, [boʃɑ́]
* (Western Armenian) IPA: /poˈʃɑ/, [pʰoʃɑ́]
* Audio (Eastern Armenian):(file)

### Noun

բոշա • (boša)
* (sometimes offensive) a member of the Bosha, an Armenian Gypsy : a member of the Lom people
** ca. 1680–1684, Baṙ girg taliani [An Armenian–Italian Dictionary published in Venice] page 11:բօշայ․ ցինկանայbōšay; cʻinkanayբօշայ (bōšay) = cingana
* (colloquial, offensive) beggar
* (colloquial, offensive) bum, hobo, tramp
* (colloquial, offensive) impudent, barefaced person

#### Usage notes

This term is an exonym and carries negative connotations such as "constantly begging", "impudent" and "shameless"; many members of the Lom people find its use offensive.

#### Declension

i-type, animate (Eastern Armenian) :
| | singular | plural |
| nominative | բոշա (boša) | բոշաներ (bošaner) |
| dative | բոշայի (bošayi) | բոշաների (bošaneri) |
| ablative | բոշայից (bošayicʻ) | բոշաներից (bošanericʻ) |
| instrumental | բոշայով (bošayov) | բոշաներով (bošanerov) |
| locative | — | — |
| | definite forms | definite forms |
| nominative | բոշան (bošan) | բոշաները/բոշաներն (bošanerə/bošanern) |
| dative | բոշային (bošayin) | բոշաներին (bošanerin) |
| | 1st person possessive forms (my) | 1st person possessive forms (my) |
| nominative | բոշաս (bošas) | բոշաներս (bošaners) |
| dative | բոշայիս (bošayis) | բոշաներիս (bošaneris) |
| ablative | բոշայիցս (bošayicʻs) | բոշաներիցս (bošanericʻs) |
| instrumental | բոշայովս (bošayovs) | բոշաներովս (bošanerovs) |
| locative | — | — |
| | 2nd person possessive forms (your) | 2nd person possessive forms (your) |
| nominative | բոշադ (bošad) | բոշաներդ (bošanerd) |
| dative | բոշայիդ (bošayid) | բոշաներիդ (bošanerid) |
| ablative | բոշայիցդ (bošayicʻd) | բոշաներիցդ (bošanericʻd) |
| instrumental | բոշայովդ (bošayovd) | բոշաներովդ (bošanerovd) |
| locative | — | — |
i-type/u-type, animate (Colloquial Eastern Armenian) :
| | singular | plural |
| nominative | բոշա (boša) | բոշեք (bošekʻ) |
| dative | բոշի, բոշու (boši, bošu) | բոշեքի (bošekʻi) |
| ablative | բոշից, բոշուց (bošicʻ, bošucʻ) | բոշեքից (bošekʻicʻ) |
| instrumental | բոշով (bošov) | բոշեքով (bošekʻov) |
| locative | — | — |
| | definite forms | definite forms |
| nominative | բոշեն (bošen) | բոշեքը/բոշեքն (bošekʻə/bošekʻn) |
| dative | բոշին, բոշուն (bošin, bošun) | բոշեքին (bošekʻin) |
| | 1st person possessive forms (my) | 1st person possessive forms (my) |
| nominative | բոշես (bošes) | բոշեքս (bošekʻs) |
| dative | բոշիս (bošis) | բոշեքիս (bošekʻis) |
| ablative | բոշիցս (bošicʻs) | բոշեքիցս (bošekʻicʻs) |
| instrumental | բոշովս (bošovs) | բոշեքովս (bošekʻovs) |
| locative | — | — |
| | 2nd person possessive forms (your) | 2nd person possessive forms (your) |
| nominative | բոշեդ (bošed) | բոշեքդ (bošekʻd) |
| dative | բոշիդ (bošid) | բոշեքիդ (bošekʻid) |
| ablative | բոշիցդ (bošicʻd) | բոշեքիցդ (bošekʻicʻd) |
| instrumental | բոշովդ (bošovd) | բոշեքովդ (bošekʻovd) |
| locative | — | — |

#### Derived terms

* բոշայերեն (bošayeren)

#### Descendants

* → Ottoman Turkish: پوشه (poşa)
** Turkish: poşa

#### See also

* գնչու (gnčʻu)

### References

* ↑ Papazean, V. (1898), Hay-Boshaner: Tsagumn, in Azgagrakan handes, 4 (2). pp. 203–218.
* ↑ Oskanean, Vardan (2003) “Mi kʻani xōskʻ bošay anuan šurǰ [Some Notes on the Ethnonym Bosha]”, in Haykazean hayagitakan handēs‎ (in Armenian), number 23, Beirut, pages 177–192
* ↑ Orengo, Alessandro (2019) “Il ԲԱՌ ԳԻՐԳ ՏԱԼԻԱՆԻ Un dizionario armeno-italiano del XVII secolo”, in U. Bläsing, J. Dum-Tragut, T.M. van Lint, editors, Armenian, Hittite, and Indo-European Studies: A Commemoration Volume for Jos J.S. Weitenberg (Hebrew University Armenian Studies; 15), Leuven: Peeters, page 218
* ↑ 2002, in Anthropology & archeology of Eurasia: Volumes 41-42, page 23: "Although "Bosha" and "Tsygan" [Gypsy] imply diametrically opposite concepts in Gyumri (the former is constantly begging, while the second will never give anything no matter how much you beg), they are found in one and the same semantic space. […] the definition of an Armenian respondent from the village of Dzhraber (Armenia) seems extremely typical: 'a Bosha is an impudent person who has lost all sense of shame — a biznesmen.'"
* ↑ 2002, in Anthropology & archeology of Eurasia: Volumes 41-42, page 20: "The word "Gnchu" as an ethnonym to designate all Gypsies came into regular use in the nineteenth century, when the first research about Armenian Gypsies appeared. However, it never entered broad usage in Armenia and is not used as a name for "Armenian Gypsies." This term is no more acceptable to the Armenian Gypsies than the term "Bosha," and its widespread usage would offend then, inasmuch as it would draw a dividing line between them and the Armenians once and for all."