Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “life buoy” come from?

life buoy (English) comes from English buoy, from Middle English boy, from Middle Dutch boeye, from Old French boie, from Latin boia, from Ancient Greek βοείη, from Ancient Greek βοῦς, from Latin corvus — army.

life buoy (English): A buoyant object that is used as a life-saving...

Definitions

  1. A buoyant object that is used as a life-saving...

Ancestry of “life buoy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbuoyA float moored in water to mark a location, warn...
2Middle Englishboy—
3Middle Dutchboeyelife buoy; float, buoy; shackle, fetter
4Old Frenchboiebond, chain; fetter, chain, clog
5Latinboiafetter, collar for the neck
6Ancient Greekβοείηox hide
7Ancient Greekβοῦςcow, ox, cattle; shield: ὃτι ἐκ βοείων ἐστι...
8LatincorvusA raven; a bird associated with prophecy and...
9Proto-Italickorwos—
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱorh₂wós—
11Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
12Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
13Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

Words derived from “life buoy”

  • lifebuoy
  • life-buoy
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker- →