Where does “gownboy” come from?
gownboy (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.
gownboy (English): A male scholar at Charterhouse School, entitled to wear a gown
Definitions
- A male scholar at Charterhouse School, entitled to wear a gown
Ancestry of “gownboy”, step by step
gownboy 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 gown
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gown | A loose, flowing upper garment; A woman's... |
| 2 | Middle English | gowne | A gown or robe; a flowing overgarment |
| 3 | Old French | goune | gown; robe |
| 4 | Late Latin | gunna | leather garment, a fur; a kind of leather garment |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | γούνα | coarse garment |
| 6 | Proto-Slavic | *guna | coarse fur clothing |