I always enjoy factoids that chip away at popular conceptions of Buddhism as being entirely separated from Western Civilization. The Greco-Buddhist art of Gandhara and textual accounts of Gautama as having blue eyes are common examples, but did you know that we English-speakers are essentially using what is just a dialect of the Buddha's Pali? both of which came from a common proto-indo-european toungue? The word "buddha" in fact is the same as our word "bid" , such as at an auction:

A bid at an auction, meanwhile, is from O.E. beodan "offer, proclaim" (class II strong verb; p.t. bead, p.p. boden), from P.Gmc. *biudanan "to stretch out, reach out, offer, present," (cf. Ger. bieten "to offer"), from PIE base *bh(e)udh- "to be aware, make aware" (cf. Skt. bodhati "is awake, is watchful, observes," buddhah "awakened, enlightened;" etymology.net

I'm not sure how the proto-germanic "offer" evolved from the PIE "aware" though, anybody have any guesses? It's weird because verbs, nouns, and adjectives get mixed up over time, but I'm trying to think of a sentance where both the English and Sanskrit words could be used to have the same meaning.... maybe: " He was a bidder of wisdom" / "He was a buddha of wisdom", "try to bid your mind [to awareness]" ...those don't really make sense though, if anyone can think of a good one that would be good.

Even more interesting, next time you talk to a Japanese person, who use the word "Butsu," you can tell them it's an English word! [Many proud northeast Asians are hesitant to even admit that the Buddha was from India, so it will certianly get the conversation going ]

you just happen to mention to Thai's that the Buddha was from India, they will switch the conversation so quick you'll be scratching your head... Thai's like you to believe he was from Siam..

I have to say that in 25 years I've never heard a Thai claim the Buddha was not from India, but there is a legend that he came to "Suwannabhumi," the golden land that is thought to have covered central Thailand.