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
- A male elevator attendant
Ancestry of “liftboy”, step by step
liftboy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English lift
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | lift | To raise or rise; To steal; To source directly... |
| 2 | Middle English | lifte | — |
| 3 | Old English | lyft | air, atmosphere; the sky |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | luftu | roof; air |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | luftuz | roof; roof of the earth, firmament; heavens, sky;... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | lewp- | peel, break off; to flake off, peel, damage; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lew- | dirt, mud; to cut, remove, prune, separate; to... |
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 |