Where does “boba” come from?
boba (Spanish) comes from English boba, from Chinese 波霸, from Cantonese 波霸, from Cantonese 波, from English Ball, from Middle English bal, from Old English beall, from English beal — to rise, to be tall; hill.
boba (Spanish): feminine singular of bobo
Definitions
- feminine singular of bobo
Ancestry of “boba”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | boba | Synonym of tapioca pearl; Short for boba tea |
| 2 | Chinese | 波霸 | busty woman; huge-breasted girl; large tapioca... |
| 3 | Cantonese | 波霸 | breast, tapioca pearl |
| 4 | Cantonese | 波 | — |
| 5 | English | Ball | surname |
| 6 | Middle English | bal | A ball; A rounded or spherical lump or bump,... |
| 7 | Old English | beall | ball |
| 8 | English | beal | A small inflammatory tumor; pustule; To gather... |
| 9 | Old English | hyll | hill |
| 10 | Albanian | hulli | furrow |
| 11 | Proto-Germanic | hulliz | hill |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | kl̥Hnís | hill |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | kelH- | to rise, to be tall; hill |