Where does “botman” come from?
botman (Middle English) comes from Russian боцман, from Dutch bootsman, from Dutch boot, from Middle Dutch boot, from Middle English bot, from Old English bāt, from Proto-West Germanic bait, from Proto-Germanic baitaz — bee.
Ancestry of “botman”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Russian | боцман | boatswain |
| 2 | Dutch | bootsman | bosun, boatswain |
| 3 | Dutch | boot | boat |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | boot | — |
| 5 | Middle English | bot | A seafaring vessel or watercraft; a device for... |
| 6 | Old English | bāt | that which can be bitten, food, bait; boat, ship,... |
| 7 | Proto-West Germanic | bait | boat, ship |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | baitaz | boat, ship |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyd- | to split |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰey- | bee |