Random Facts

In Latin, the word boāre means “to roar”, which is likely where the sound boo actually comes from.

Back in the 16th century, to bo meant to announce your presence rather than to spook someone. By that logic, ghosts are really just saying, “Here I am!”

By the 18th and 19th centuries, bo and boo were used more for their sound, often to comfort children at night, as in “Don’t worry, your parents are here.” That gentle association slowly connected boo with fear, leading to its eventual spookification.

By the 20th century, boo was firmly cemented as the thing ghosts say to frighten people.