Fw: [coleoptera] Baja, Baya, Insects ???

[Prirodoslovni muzej Split]

Dear Dottore Pietro,
I'd like to have your e-mail address, for we are living in adjacency and we have similar flora and fauna. Our entomologists were exchanging their insects in past, too.
 
In fact, you surprised me with your message, too, especially for message of Ronaldo that I red before. he wrote me this:

"Dear Sir:
    In central and southern Philippines some insects are called "bao-bao".  
"Bao" that is not repeated is the word for tortoise.
   As a backgrounder, historically, the Philippines was part of the Vishayan 
empire and for 300 years was a Spanish colony.
    The common language (used in the households) is Cebuano Bisaya and is of 
Malayan origin."
Rodolfo C. Kintanar, M.M.

 
I don't know what to think now... 
This word is common in Bosnia and in inland parts of Dalmatia. The part of that population imigrated in Croatia from Bosnia and emigrated in Italy and other countries in time of Turkish empire, but the word "baja" can be even of Spanish origin, or Jewish, for Sefards from Spain that came to Bosnia in Middle Age, or of Arab origin, who traveled a lot in past, too but it can be imported also from distant Asian languages (Indoeuropean origin) This is a long way for such a small word!

I want to appologize to all people who don't like this subject and to thank to all people that answered.

Why I am interested in this?
I am born in part of Croat population that use term "baja" for insects, mostly coleoptera. That term is strange for other parts of Croat population and the term will extinct as many other ancient words and costums, but it is still in use uf our population here. I tried to prepare for exhibition about world of insects. I wanted to light up the all the terms related to insects and to show that local people paid attention on insects, in past too. At first I asked our best etymologist for answer about origin of this word, but it was not familiar word to him and I asked other people after that.
 
Best wishes

Boze Kokan
Prirodoslovni muzej i zoolo?ki vrt Split
p.p.376
21 000 Split
Croatia
Europe
primust at st.tel.hr
tel/fax: ++385/21460-989

 
 
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Pierone 
To: coleoptera at egroups.com 
Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 6:45 PM
Subject: Re: [coleoptera] Baja, Baya, Insects ??? 


Dear Boze,

I was very surprised to find that in an adjacent land some people use the word "baja", meaning insect or better
beetle.
Here, in Italy, in the northeast part of uor country, we have a very similar word with a similar meaning: "bao" or "bau",
singular, "baj", plural. Most of our aged farmers used such term expecially for Carabus and Bostrichidae.
Unfortunately, I don't know the origin of the word nor did I find the etymology of it in any book or dictionary I have
on such matter.
I hope that somebody will help to try the key for such research.
Best wishes.
Pierone

dr Pietro Visentini
Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Venezia
S. Croce 1730 - 30135 VENEZIA

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Prirodoslovni muzej Split 
  To: entomo-L lista ; lista carabida 
  Cc: coleoptera e list ; taxacom-lista 
  Sent: Thursday, October 19, 2000 12:43 PM
  Subject: [coleoptera] Baja, Baya, Insects ??? 


  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. [BAJAşYA] 
  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 zoolo?ki vrt Split
  p.p.376
  21 000 Split
  Croatia
  Europe
  primust at st.tel.hr
  tel/fax: ++385/21460-989