Where does “busybody” come from?
Busybody comes from English busy and body, with body deriving from Middle English body, Old English bodiġ, Proto-West Germanic bodag, and ultimately Proto-Indo-European bʰewdʰ-.
busybody (English): Someone who interferes with others; one who is...
Definitions
- Someone who interferes with others; one who is...
Ancestry of “busybody”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Body | — |
| 2 | Middle English | bode | messenger |
| 3 | Old English | boda | messenger, envoy, herald, apostle, angel; prophet |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | budô | messenger |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | beudaną | to offer, to bid |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰewdʰ- | to be awake, be aware |
Words derived from “busybody”