Etymology Explorer › Old East Slavic

Where does “бояринъ” come from?

бояринъ (Old East Slavic) comes from Old Church Slavonic болꙗринъ, from Proto-Slavic bojь, from Proto-Indo-European bʰoyh₂ós, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyh₂- — to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut.

Ancestry of “бояринъ”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Church Slavonicболꙗринъaristocrat, nobleman, boyar
2Proto-Slavicbojьbattle, fight
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰoyh₂ós—
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeyh₂-to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut

Words derived from “бояринъ”

  • боярин
  • боярский
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeyh₂- →