Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. A young man employed to prepare tea

Ancestry of “teaboy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishTEATraining and employment agency; Acronym of...
2Dutchtheetea
3Malaytehtea
4Malayputihwhite
5Classical Malayputihwhite
6Proto-Malayicputih—
7Proto-Malayo-Polynesian(ma-)putiqwhite
Every word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian (ma-)putiq →