Hobby

[JoannesL]

Hi all,

Today I would like to put up for discussion the word "Hobby", both in the meaning of pastime, and the name of a bird of prey, Falco subbuteo. In addition, I wonder about the link to the eponymous football game Subbuteo

For your information, in Dutch, Falco Subbuteo is called tree falcon ("boomvalk")

[Slava]

Treated here, but no mention of the bird connection. That appears to be:

1400–50; late Middle English hoby<Middle French hobé, suffixal variant of Middle French, Old French hobel (compare French hobereau), probably noun derivative of hobeler to skirmish, harass, perhaps <Middle Dutch hob(b)elen to turn, roll; compare Dutch hobbelen to rock, jolt (cf. hobble)

From dictionary.com.

[Audiendus]

In addition, I wonder about the link to the eponymous football game Subbuteo

The name of the game 'Subbuteo' is a pun on the word 'hobby' (the bird/a pastime).

'Buteo' is Latin for 'buzzard', so 'subbuteo' is an 'under-buzzard', i.e. a small buzzard.