Where does “booby” come from?
Booby comes from English brother, which derives from Old English brōþor, from Proto-Germanic brōþēr, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰréh₂tēr meaning "brother."
booby (English): A stupid person; Any of various large tropical...
Definitions
- A stupid person; Any of various large tropical...
Ancestry of “booby”, step by step
booby traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via English bubby
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bubby | A woman's breast; bub; bubba; Alternative... |
| 2 | English | brother | Son of the same parents as another person; A male... |
| 3 | Middle English | brother | A brother or brother-in-law; a male sibling |
| 4 | Old English | brōþor | brother |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | brōþer | brother |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | brōþēr | brother |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰréh₂tēr | brother |
via Spanish bobo
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | bobo | stupid, silly, naive; A stupid or naive person; a... |
| 2 | Latin | balbus | stammering, stuttering; lisping; fumbling |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | balb- | — |
via English boob
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | boob | Idiot, fool; Idiotic, foolish; To behave... |
| 2 | English | booby-hatch | A small hatchway in the deck of a ship; A lunatic... |