Where does “bellboy” come from?
bellboy (English) comes from English Bell, from Middle English belle, from Old English belle, from Proto-West Germanic bellā, from Proto-Germanic bellǭ, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.
bellboy (English): A male worker, usually at a hotel, who carries...
Definitions
- A male worker, usually at a hotel, who carries...
Ancestry of “bellboy”, step by step
bellboy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Bell
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Bell | a telephone utility; a Baby Bell |
| 2 | Middle English | belle | — |
| 3 | Old English | belle | bell |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | bellā | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bellǭ | bell |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
via English boy
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | boy | A young male; A male child: a son of any age; A... |
| 2 | Middle English | boye | servant, commoner, knave, boy |
| 3 | Old English | bōia | boy |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bōjô | younger brother, young male relation |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bō- | A stem meaning "father, brother, close male... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰā- | to say |