Where does “boys” come from?
Boys comes from Middle English boye, from Middle Dutch boeye, from Old French boie, from Latin boia, tracing back through Proto-Indo-European roots.
boys (English): plural of boy; API pl; The testicles
Definitions
- plural of boy; API pl; The testicles
Ancestry of “boys”, step by step
| 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 |