If I may consult my trusty Chambers 20th Century Dictionary (always better than Oxford English, I don't care what anyone says), they define Bohemian as follows Noun. A native or inhabitant of Bohemia; a Czech; a gypsy; a person of loose or irregular habits; an artist or man of letters, or indeed anyone, who sets conventions aside: The Czech language. Also adjective.
Bohemian comes from the French Bohemien, a gypsy, from the belief that these wanderers came from Bohemia, a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is now located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague. In a broader meaning, it often refers to the entire Czech territory, including Moravia and Czech Silesia, especially in historical contexts, such as the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Flicking through my equally handy Chambers Giant Thesaurus, synonyms for Bohemian as an adjective include: Alternative, artistic, avant-garde, bizarre, eccentric, exotic, non conformist, offbeat, original, unconventional, unorthodox, (and more colloquially) arty, oddball, off-the-wall, way-out. Antonyms include bourgeois, conventional, orthodox.
For Bohemian as a noun, synonyms include: Beatnik, drop-out, hippie, non conformist.
As you can see it can be both a compliment and a slur so be careful where and when you employ this wonderful word. Any doubts? Use the synonyms provided above.
Just as a little aside, a Bohemian ruby is rose quartz and a Bohemian topaz is citrine.
Bohemian comes from the French Bohemien, a gypsy, from the belief that these wanderers came from Bohemia, a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is now located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague. In a broader meaning, it often refers to the entire Czech territory, including Moravia and Czech Silesia, especially in historical contexts, such as the Kingdom of Bohemia.
Flicking through my equally handy Chambers Giant Thesaurus, synonyms for Bohemian as an adjective include: Alternative, artistic, avant-garde, bizarre, eccentric, exotic, non conformist, offbeat, original, unconventional, unorthodox, (and more colloquially) arty, oddball, off-the-wall, way-out. Antonyms include bourgeois, conventional, orthodox.
For Bohemian as a noun, synonyms include: Beatnik, drop-out, hippie, non conformist.
As you can see it can be both a compliment and a slur so be careful where and when you employ this wonderful word. Any doubts? Use the synonyms provided above.
Just as a little aside, a Bohemian ruby is rose quartz and a Bohemian topaz is citrine.
