Semantyczna historia obieżyświata

The article concerns the semantic development of the compositum obieżyświat ‘a person who likes to travel a lot’. It is interesting that the first attestation of the word in Old Polish (from the 15 th century) had a botanical meaning ‘Bupleurum rotundifolium L.’. The form obieżyświat was then the translation of the Old Latin plant names garowaga and girambula meaning ‘something that moves around’. The contemporary meaning of the compositum obieżyświat appeared only in the second half of the 19 th century.