boy

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A male child.

   The boy played football with his friends after school.

2. 2
   noun

   A young man.

   She is dating a boy named Jim.

3. 3
   noun

   A son of any age.

   She was proud of her boy when he graduated.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Boy entered Middle English with the original meaning “male servant,” but its deeper origin is obscure. It appears to be identical with East Frisian boy “young gentleman” and may also be related to Dutch boef “knave.” Its early association with subordinate status survived in its use as a form of address to male servants and slaves.

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰā- Proto-Germanic *bō- Proto-West Germanic *bōjō Old English *bōia Middle English boye English boy From Middle English boy /boye (“servant, commoner, knave, boy”), from Old English *bōia (“boy”), from Proto-West Germanic *bōjō, from Proto-Germanic *bōjô (“younger brother, young male relation”), from Proto-Germanic *bō- (“brother, close male relation”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰā-, *bʰāt- (“father, elder brother, brother”). Cognate with Scots boy (“boy”), West Frisian boai (“boy”), Dutch boi (“boy”), Low German Boi (“boy”), and probably to the Old Englis…

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External links

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