Where does “Whiteboy” come from?

Whiteboy (English) comes from English boy, from Middle English boye, from Old English bōia, from Proto-Germanic bōjô, from Proto-Germanic bō-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰā- — to say.

Whiteboy (English): A member of the Whiteboys, a secret Irish...

Definitions

  1. A member of the Whiteboys, a secret Irish...

Ancestry of “Whiteboy”, step by step

Whiteboy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English boy

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishboyA young male; A male child: a son of any age; A...
2Middle Englishboyeservant, commoner, knave, boy
3Old Englishbōiaboy
4Proto-Germanicbōjôyounger brother, young male relation
5Proto-Germanicbō-A stem meaning "father, brother, close male...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰā-to say

via English white

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishwhiteBright and colourless; reflecting equal...
2Middle Englishwhitwhite, pale, light; wearing white clothes; having...
3Old Englishhwītwhite
4Proto-West Germanichwītwhite
5Proto-Germanichwītazwhite
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱweytosbright; shine; shine; bright
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰā-Every word from Proto-Germanic bō-Every word from Proto-Germanic bōjô