Middle English word boye comes from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeh₂u-, Proto-Indo-European *bʰāt-, Proto-Indo-European *gʷew-, and later Proto-Germanic *bō- (A stem meaning father, brother, close male relation.)
| Dictionary entry | Language | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| *bʰeh₂u- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bʰāt- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *gʷew- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bʰə-w- | Proto-Indo-European (ine-pro) | |
| *bō- | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | A stem meaning father, brother, close male relation. |
| *bowā | Proto-Celtic (cel-pro) | Dirt, filth. Excrement. |
| *baukną | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | Sign, symbol. |
| *bōjô | Proto-Germanic (gem-pro) | |
| *baba | Old English (ang) | |
| *bowā | Gaulish (cel-gau) | |
| *baukan | Frankish (frk) | Sign, signal. |
| *bōia | Old English (ang) | |
| bue | Old French (fro) | |
| boye | Middle Dutch (dum) | |
| boy | Middle English (enm) |