Not quite. When OED says ‘compare’ it’s just suggesting similarities, not a provable link.
The actual referenced OED page for boo leads to an older form (‘bo’), which then compares it to the sound of a cow or to a reduplication of the earlier exclamation ‘ho’.
The most likely explanation seems to be that it’s just a good combination of sounds, and the similar Latin & Greek forms were derived independently for the same reason.
Not quite. When OED says ‘compare’ it’s just suggesting similarities, not a provable link.
The actual referenced OED page for boo leads to an older form (‘bo’), which then compares it to the sound of a cow or to a reduplication of the earlier exclamation ‘ho’.
The most likely explanation seems to be that it’s just a good combination of sounds, and the similar Latin & Greek forms were derived independently for the same reason.