Where does “teaboy” come from?
teaboy (English) comes from English TEA, from Dutch thee, from Malay teh, from Malay putih, from Classical Malay putih, from Proto-Malayic putih, from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (ma-)putiq — white.
teaboy (English): A young man employed to prepare tea
Definitions
- A young man employed to prepare tea
Ancestry of “teaboy”, step by step
teaboy traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English TEA
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | TEA | Training and employment agency; Acronym of... |
| 2 | Dutch | thee | tea |
| 3 | Malay | teh | tea |
| 4 | Malay | putih | white |
| 5 | Classical Malay | putih | white |
| 6 | Proto-Malayic | putih | white |
| 7 | Proto-Malayo-Polynesian | (ma-)putiq | white |
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 |