Where does “booby trap” come from?
booby trap (English) comes from English booby, from English bubby, from English brother, from Middle English brother, from Old English brōþor, from Proto-West Germanic brōþer, from Proto-Germanic brōþēr, from Proto-Indo-European bʰréh₂tēr — brother.
booby trap (English): An antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or...
Definitions
- An antipersonnel device deliberately hidden or...
Ancestry of “booby trap”, step by step
booby trap traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English booby
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | booby | A stupid person; Any of various large tropical... |
| 2 | English | bubby | A woman's breast; bub; bubba; Alternative... |
| 3 | English | brother | Son of the same parents as another person; A male... |
| 4 | Middle English | brother | A brother or brother-in-law; a male sibling |
| 5 | Old English | brōþor | brother |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | brōþer | brother |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | brōþēr | brother |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰréh₂tēr | brother |
via English trap
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | trap | A machine or other device designed to catch (and sometimes kill) animals, either by holding them in a container, or by catching hold of part of the body |
| 2 | Middle English | trappe | trap |
| 3 | Old English | træppe | a trap |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | trap- | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dreb- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | der- | to split, to separate; to tear, to crack, to... |