An archaic or dialectal form meaning a bend, curve, or the front part of a ship.
Old English variant or dialectal form, related to 'bow' meaning to bend or the bow of a ship. Similar to Middle English and Old Norse forms.
This is a spelling ghost—'bowe' shows up in old texts before English spelling standardized around the 1600s, reminding us that the language was still finding its preferred way to spell sounds.
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