Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “bois” come from?

bois (French) comes from Middle French boys, from Old French bois, from Frankish busk, from Proto-Germanic buskaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- — to become, grow, appear.

bois (French): wood; wood, woodland; antler

Definitions

  1. wood; wood, woodland; antler

Ancestry of “bois”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchboyswood
2Old Frenchboiswoodland; woods
3Frankishbuskbush; bush, thicket
4Proto-Germanicbuskazbush; thicket
5Proto-Indo-EuropeanbʰuH-to become, grow, appear

Words derived from “bois”

  • oboe
  • hautboy
  • oboist
  • hautbois
  • lowboy
  • boiserie
  • oboeist
  • hoboy
  • oboelike
  • hautboyist
  • hautboist
  • oboe
  • oboista
  • oboe
  • oboè
  • гобой
  • sous-bois
  • Dubois
  • hautboïste
  • boiserie
  • hautbois
  • boiser
  • boisement
  • Oboe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰuH- →