Bohemia

Meanings

1. A cultural region in the west of the former Czechoslovakia and present-day Czech Republic.
2. A place name elsewhere:
3. A place in England:
4. An inner suburb of Hastings, East Sussex (OS grid ref TQ8010).
5. A hamlet in Redlynch parish, south-east Wiltshire (OS grid ref SU2019).
6. A place in the United States:
7. An unincorporated community in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.
8. A township in Ontonagon County, Michigan.
9. A township in Knox County, Nebraska.
10. A township in Saunders County, Nebraska.
11. A hamlet and census-designated place in the town of Islip, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

1. A community of bohemians, unconventional artists or writers.
2. The world or social milieu of such bohemians.

1. Alternative letter-case form of Bohemia.

Etymology

Latinized translation of French Bohême, from Late Latin Boiohaemum, compound of Boio- (“the Boii”), the Celtic tribe previously inhabiting the area and Germanic *haimaz (“home”) (more at home). The endonym is from Proto-Celtic *boyos and could ultimately be from Proto-Indo-European *gʷṓws (“cattle”) (compare Proto-Celtic *bāus (“cattle”), genitive *bowos), a reference to cattle owners, or from *bʰeyh₂- (“to hit”), i.e. “warrior, strong hitter” (compare Proto-Celtic *binati (“to strike, hit”)). Bohemia was abandoned by the Boii c. 60 BCE and settled by the Germanic Marcomanni shortly thereafter. Related to Bavaria.