A Bohemian
is a resident of the former Kingdom of Bohemia, either in a narrow sense as the region or Bohemia proper or in a wider meaning as the whole country, now known as the Czech Republic. The word "Bohemian" used to denote the Czech people as well as the Czech language before the word "Czech" became prevalent in English.
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BOHEMIANS TICKETS
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Origin and usage
The name "Bohemia" derives from the
Latin term for the
Celtic tribe inhabiting that area, the
Boii, who were called
Boiohaemum
in the early Middle Ages. The word "Bohemian" was never used by the local Czech (
Slavic) population. In
Czech, the region since the early Middle Ages has been called only
Cechy
or
Czechy
("Bohemia") or
Království ceské
("Kingdom of Bohemia"), and its mainly Czech-speaking inhabitants were called
Cechové
(in modern Czech
Ceši
).
In most other European vernaculars and in Latin (as
Bohemi
), the word "Bohemian" or a derivate was used. If the Czech ethnic origin was to be stressed, combinations like "Bohemian of Bohemian language" (
Cech ceského jazyka
), "a real Bohemian" (
pravý Cech
) etc. were used.
It was not until the 19th century that other European languages began to use the word "Czechs" (in English –
Tschechen
in
German,
Tchèques
in
French) in a deliberate (and successful) attempt to distinguish between Bohemian Slavs and other inhabitants of Bohemia (mostly
Germans). Currently, the word "Bohemians" is sometimes used when speaking about persons from Bohemia of non-Czech or mixed ethnic origin, especially before the year 1918, when the Kingdom of Bohemia ceased to exist.
Other uses
The term "Bohemian" as related to
Bohemianism – i.e. describing the untraditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished
artists,
writers,
musicians, and
actors in major European cities – emerged in France in the early 19th century when artists and creators began to concentrate in the lower-rent, lower class gypsy neighbourhoods. The term bohémien was a common term for the Romani people of France, who had reached Western Europe via Bohemia.
Notes and references