Where does “decoy” come from?

Decoy comes from Dutch de combined with Middle Dutch die, derived from Latin cavea meaning an enclosed space, from Latin cavus meaning hollow, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ḱówHwos.

decoy (English): A person or object meant to lure somebody into...

Definitions

  1. A person or object meant to lure somebody into...

Ancestry of “decoy”, step by step

decoy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Dutch de

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchdethe
2Middle Dutchdiethe; definite article; that, those; who, which,...
3Old Dutchthiethat, that one; that
4Old Dutchthē
5Proto-Germanic*sa
6Proto-Austronesian*əsa
7Proto-Oceanic*isa

via Dutch kooi

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Dutchkooicage; bunk
2Middle Dutchcoye
3Latincaveahollow, cavity; cage, den, enclosure, stall,...
4Latincavushollow, concave; excavated, channeled;...
5Proto-Italickawos
6Proto-Indo-Europeanḱowh₁óshollow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanḱewh₁-to swell; to be strong

Words derived from “decoy

Every word from Proto-Oceanic *isa
decoy — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer