Where does “buoyant” come from?
Buoyant comes from English buoy plus the suffix -ant, from Italian -ente, Middle Dutch boeye, Latin boia meaning chain or shackle, and Proto-Indo-European roots bʰā- and bʰeh₂-.
buoyant (English): Having buoyancy; able to float; Lighthearted and...
Definitions
- Having buoyancy; able to float; Lighthearted and...
Ancestry of “buoyant”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | buoy | A float moored in water to mark a location, warn... |
| 2 | Middle English | boy | — |
| 3 | Middle Dutch | boeye | life buoy; float, buoy; shackle, fetter |
| 4 | Old French | boie | bond, chain; fetter, chain, clog |
| 5 | Latin | boia | fetter, collar for the neck |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | βοείη | ox hide |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | βοῦς | cow, ox, cattle; shield: ὃτι ἐκ βοείων ἐστι... |
| 8 | Latin | corvus | A raven; a bird associated with prophecy and... |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | korwos | — |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱorh₂wós | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱer- | to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,... |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | kr̥- | to turn, to bend |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | ker- | army |