Where does “loverboy” come from?
loverboy (English) comes from English lover, from Middle English lovere, from Middle English loven, from Old English lofian, from Proto-Germanic *lobōn, from Proto-Germanic lubōną, from Proto-Indo-European lewbʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European lēw- — to sound, resound, sing out; to leave.
loverboy (English): A male lover, especially a young one; A...
Definitions
- A male lover, especially a young one; A...
Ancestry of “loverboy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | lover | One who loves and cares for another person in a... |
| 2 | Middle English | lovere | — |
| 3 | Middle English | loven | to love |
| 4 | Old English | lofian | to praise; exalt; to appraise; value; put a price... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | *lobōn | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | lubōną | to praise |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | lewbʰ- | to desire, covet, want; to admire, praise; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | lēw- | to sound, resound, sing out; to leave |
Words derived from “loverboy”