Where does “doughboy” come from?
doughboy (English) comes from English boy, from Middle English boye, from Old English bōia, from Proto-Germanic bōjô, from Proto-Germanic bō-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰā- — to say.
doughboy (English): An American infantryman, especially one from...
Definitions
- An American infantryman, especially one from...
Ancestry of “doughboy”, step by step
doughboy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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 |
via English dough
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | dough | A thick, malleable substance made by mixing flour... |
| 2 | Middle English | dow | Alternative form of dogh |
| 3 | Old English | dāg | dough |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | daigaz | soft; that which is formed or kneaded; dough |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | *dʰóyǵʰos | something that is kneaded, formed |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰeyǵʰ- | to knead; to form, to shape |