Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “liftboy” come from?

liftboy (English) comes from English lift, from Middle English lifte, from Old English lyft, from Proto-West Germanic luftu, from Proto-Germanic luftuz, from Proto-Indo-European lewp-, from Proto-Indo-European lew- — dirt, mud; to cut, remove, prune, separate; to...

liftboy (English): A male elevator attendant

Definitions

  1. A male elevator attendant

Ancestry of “liftboy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishliftTo raise or rise; To steal; To source directly...
2Middle Englishlifte—
3Old Englishlyftair, atmosphere; the sky
4Proto-West Germaniclufturoof; air
5Proto-Germanicluftuzroof; roof of the earth, firmament; heavens, sky;...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanlewp-peel, break off; to flake off, peel, damage; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlew-dirt, mud; to cut, remove, prune, separate; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lew- →