Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “boat” come from?

Boat comes from Middle English boot, from Old English bāt, from Latin buttis, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyd-.

boat (English): A craft used for transportation of goods,...

Definitions

  1. A craft used for transportation of goods,...

Ancestry of “boat”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishbotA seafaring vessel or watercraft; a device for...
2Old Englishbātthat which can be bitten, food, bait; boat, ship,...
3Proto-West Germanicbaitboat, ship
4Proto-Germanicbaitazboat, ship
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyd-to split
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰey-bee

Words derived from “boat”

  • steamboat
  • boating
  • gunboat
  • lifeboat
  • sailboat
  • rowboat
  • boathouse
  • houseboat
  • longboat
  • riverboat
  • motorboat
  • whaleboat
  • ferryboat
  • speedboat
  • boatload
  • tugboat
  • flatboat
  • boatyard
  • powerboat
  • airboat
  • boathook
  • keelboat
  • steamboating
  • towboat
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰey- →