Editing Boyar (section)

==Etymology==
Also known as ''bolyar''; variants in other languages include {{langx|bg|боляр|bolyar}} or {{langx|bg|болярин|bolyarin}}; {{langx|ru|боярин|boyarin}}, {{IPA|ru|bɐˈjærʲɪn|IPA}}, {{plural form|бояре}}; {{langx|ro|boier}}, {{IPA|ro|boˈjer|IPA|Ro-boier.ogg}}; and {{langx|el|βογιάρος}}.

The title [[Boila]] is predecessor or old form of the title Bolyar (the [[Bulgarian language|Bulgarian]] word for Boyar). Boila was a title worn by some of the [[Bulgars|Bulgar]] aristocrats (mostly of regional governors and noble warriors) in the [[First Bulgarian Empire]] (681–1018). The plural form of [[boila]] ("noble"), ''bolyare'' is attested in [[Bulgar language|Bulgar]] inscriptions<ref>Bulgarian Etymological Dictionary, Volume I, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences publishing house, 1971, p. 71</ref><ref name="members.tripod.com">{{Cite web |title=PB Language - the Preslav Inscription |url=https://groznijat.tripod.com/pb_lang/pbl_1_2.html |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=groznijat.tripod.com}}</ref> and rendered as ''boilades'' or ''boliades'' in the [[Greek language|Greek]] of Byzantine documents.<ref name="vasmer" /><ref name="homepage.mac.com">{{Cite web |url=http://homepage.mac.com/paulstephenson/trans/decer1.html |title=Constantine Porphyrogenitus, de Cerimoniis aulae Byzantinae, II, 46–47 |access-date=2006-11-13 |archive-date=2002-03-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020320134032/http://homepage.mac.com/paulstephenson/trans/decer1.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Multiple different derivation theories of the word have been suggested by scholars and linguists, such as it having possible roots from old Turkic: ''bai'' ("noble, rich"; ''cf.'' "[[wiktionary:bay#Turkish|bay]]") plus [[Turkic languages|Turkic]] ''är'' ("man, men"),<ref name="vasmer">{{Cite web |title=Vasmer's Etymological Dictionary : Query result |url=https://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?root=/usr/local/share/starling/morpho&morpho=1&basename=morpho%5Cvasmer%5Cvasmer&first=1201 |access-date=2023-01-12 |website=starling.rinet.ru}}</ref> proto-Slavic "boj" (fight, battle) or from [[Romanian language|Romanian]] "boi" (oxen, cattle) to "Boier" (owner of cattle).<ref>{{Citation |title=boier |date=2017-05-13 |url=https://ro.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=boier&oldid=863037 |work=Wikționar |language=ro |access-date=2022-05-07}}</ref>{{Circular reference|date=February 2025}}