Where does “Borstalian” come from?

Borstalian (English) comes from English ian, from Irish Eoin, from Old Irish Iohain, from Latin Iōannēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης, from Hebrew יוחנן, from Hebrew חנון, from Moroccan Arabic خنونة.

Borstalian (English): An inmate of a borstal prison for young offenders

Definitions

  1. An inmate of a borstal prison for young offenders

Ancestry of “Borstalian”, step by step

Borstalian traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ian

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishian
2IrishEoinJohn any of several people in the Bible
3Old IrishIohainJohn apostle
4LatinIōannēsJohn biblical persons
5Ancient GreekἸωάννης
6HebrewיוחנןYahweh is gracious
7Hebrewחנוןgracious, merciful, compassionate; passive...
8Moroccan Arabicخنونةmucus, snot
9Arabicخُنَّة

via English Borstal

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBorstalOS grid ref TQ7366
2Middle English*borstile
3Old Englishstiġelstile, set of steps for getting over a fence
4Proto-West Germanic*stigilua device used for climbing (over); stile
Every word from Arabic خُنَّةEvery word from Moroccan Arabic خنونةEvery word from Hebrew חנון