Middle English word boce comes from Proto-Indo-European *bhau-, Proto-Indo-European *bū-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰÀud-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰawd-, and later Frankish *bōtan (To beat.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *bhau- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bū- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bʰÀud- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | to beat, push |
| *bʰawd- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bu(t/dʰ)néh₂- | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *bōtan | Frankish (frk) | To beat. |
| *bottja | Frankish (frk) | |
| boce | Old French (fro) | Swelling (for example, due to injury or illness). |
| bos | Middle English (enm) |