Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “boy” come from?

boy (Middle English) comes from Middle Dutch boeye, from Old French boie, from Latin boia, from Ancient Greek βοείη, from Ancient Greek βοῦς, from Latin corvus, from Proto-Italic korwos, from Proto-Indo-European ḱorh₂wós — army.

Ancestry of “boy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Dutchboeyelife buoy; float, buoy; shackle, fetter
2Old Frenchboiebond, chain; fetter, chain, clog
3Latinboiafetter, collar for the neck
4Ancient Greekβοείηox hide
5Ancient Greekβοῦςcow, ox, cattle; shield: ὃτι ἐκ βοείων ἐστι...
6LatincorvusA raven; a bird associated with prophecy and...
7Proto-Italickorwos—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanḱorh₂wós—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanḱer-to grow, to make grow, to nourish; to plait,...
10Proto-Indo-Europeankr̥-to turn, to bend
11Proto-Indo-Europeanker-army

Words derived from “boy”

  • boy
  • boys
  • bo
  • boyfriend
  • boyhood
  • cowboy
  • boyish
  • buoyant
  • schoolboy
  • buoyancy
  • buoy
  • playboy
  • tomboy
  • newsboy
  • boyishly
  • buoyantly
  • boyishness
  • busboy
  • bellboy
  • houseboy
  • ploughboy
  • postboy
  • boi
  • tomboyish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ker- →