Emphatic exclamation oh, boy is attested by 1917. 1600.Įxtended form boyo is attested from 1870. The meaning "male negro slave or Asian personal servant of any age" attested from c. In some local uses "a man," without reference to age (OED lists "in Cornwall, in Ireland, in the far West of the U.S."). Used slightingly of young men in Middle English, also in familiar or contemptuous use of criminal toughs or men in the armed services. ModEīoy looks like a semantic blend of an onomatopoeic word for an evil spirit ( Another conjecture:īoi meant 'churl, servant' and (rarely) 'devil.' In texts, the meaning 'male child' does not antedate 1400.
This suggests a gradational relationship to babe. Possibly from Old French embuie "one fettered," from Vulgar Latin *imboiare, from Latin boia "leg iron, yoke, leather collar," from Greek boeiai dorai "ox hides." (Words for "boy" double as "servant, attendant" across the Indo-European map - compare Italian ragazzo, French garçon, Greek pais, Middle English knave, Old Church Slavonic otroku - and often it is difficult to say which meaning came first.)īut it also appears to be identical with East Frisian boi "young gentleman," and perhaps with Dutch boef "knave," from Middle Dutch boeve, perhaps from Middle Low German buobe. as "male child before puberty" (possibly extended from the "urchin" sense). 1300, "rascal, ruffian, knave urchin," mid-14c. Mid-13c., boie "servant, commoner, knave" (generally young and male) c.
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