Where does “cowboy” come from?
cowboy (Dutch) comes from English cowboy, from English cow, from English cowpony, from English pony, from Scots powny, from Middle French poulenet, from Latin pullanus, from Latin pullus — pale, gray.
cowboy (Dutch): cowboy
Ancestry of “cowboy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | cowboy | A man who tends free-range cattle, especially in... |
| 2 | English | cow | An adult female of the species "Bos taurus",... |
| 3 | English | cowpony | A horse ridden by cowboys when controlling cattle |
| 4 | English | pony | A small horse; specifically, any of several small... |
| 5 | Scots | powny | — |
| 6 | Middle French | poulenet | little foal |
| 7 | Latin | pullanus | young of an animal |
| 8 | Latin | pullus | A young animal; darling; dark-colored; dusky |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | polHwós | pale, gray |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | pelH- | pale, gray |