Etymology
1. 1548, "to disgrace," perhaps a Scottish respelling of
bauchle "to disgrace publicly" (especially a perjured knight), prob. related to Fr.
bafouer "to abuse, hoodwink," possibly from
baf, a natural sound of disgust, like
bah. Meaning "to bewilder, confuse" is from 1649; that of "to defeat someone's efforts" is from 1675. The noun sense of "shielding device" is first recorded 1881.
2. The origin of the verb is uncertain; it is possibly:
3. * from French bafouer, baffoüer (“to abuse, revile; to confuse, baffle; to deceive; to flout; to scorn”), imitative of someone making a disdainful sound by expelling air quickly through pouted lips (compare Occitan baf (interjection expressing disdain)); or
4. * from French befer, beffer, beffler (“(obsolete) to deceive; to mock, ridicule”) (compare Old French befe, beffe, buffe (“deception; mockery”); beferie (“deceit; quibbling”)), possibly from bafouer: see above.
5. The noun is derived from the verb.
6. Cognates
7. * Italian beffare (“(verb) to deride, mock”), beffa (“(noun) banter; mockery”)
8. * Occitan bafar (“(verb) to deride, mock”), bafa (“(noun) banter; mockery”)
9. * Old Spanish bafa (modern Spanish befa (“(noun) banter; mockery”))
10. * Spanish befar (“(verb) to deride, mock”) See: French '
bafouer', French '
befer', Italian '
beffare', Occitan '
bafar', Spanish '
befar'.