Old English bodian "proclaim, announce; foretell," from boda "messenger," probably from Proto-Germanic *budon- (cognates: Old Saxon gibod, German gebot, Old Norse boð), from PIE *bheudh- "be aware, make aware" (cognates: Sanskrit bodhati "is awake, is watchful, observes," buddhah "awakened, enlightened;" Old Church Slavonic bljudo "to observe;" Lithuanian budeti "to be awake;" Old Irish buide "contentment, thanks"). As a shortened form of forebode (usually evil), it dates from 1740. Related: Boded; boding.