Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bhoy” come from?

bhoy (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.

bhoy (English): Boy; A tough, a thug; Exclamation of surprise,...

Definitions

  1. Boy; A tough, a thug; Exclamation of surprise,...

Ancestry of “bhoy”, step by step

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
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰā- →