Where does “donkey-boy” come from?
donkey-boy (English) comes from English donkey, from Middle English donekie, from Middle English don, from Old English dōn, from Proto-West Germanic dōn, from Proto-Germanic dōną, from Proto-Indo-European dʰéh₁t, from Proto-Indo-European dʰeh₁- — to do, put, place.
donkey-boy (English): A person (usually, but not always, a boy) who cares for and drives a donkey that carries a tourist or the luggage of a tourist
Definitions
- A person (usually, but not always, a boy) who cares for and drives a donkey that carries a tourist or the luggage of a tourist
Ancestry of “donkey-boy”, step by step
donkey-boy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English donkey
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | donkey | a domestic animal, Equus asinus asinus, similar... |
| 2 | Middle English | donekie | a miniature dun horse |
| 3 | Middle English | don | To do, perform; To complete, finish; To make,... |
| 4 | Old English | dōn | to do |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | dōn | to do; to put, to place |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | dōną | to do, make; to put, place |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰéh₁t | to put, to place; to do |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeh₁- | to do, put, place |
via English boy
| 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 |