boy

See also: Boy, bõy, and BOY

Translingual

Etymology

Clipping of English Bodo with y as a placeholder.

Symbol

boy

1. (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Bodo (Central Africa).

See also

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Bodo (Central Africa) terms

English

Painting of a boy (c. 1811; sense 1)

Two Arab boys (c. 1910; sense 1)

Etymology

Etymology tree

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 English proper name Bōia. Also related to West Flemish boe (“brother”), Norwegian dialectal boa (“brother”), Dutch boef (“rogue, knave”), Bavarian Bua (“young boy, lad”), German Bube ("boy; knave; jack"; > English bub), Icelandic bófi (“rogue, crook, bandit, knave”). See also bully.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: boi, IPA^(key): /bɔɪ/

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• Audio (General American):

  (file)

• (Southern US) IPA^(key): /bɔːə/
• Rhymes: -ɔɪ

Noun

boy (countable and uncountable, plural boys or (eye dialect) boyz)

2. A young male human. [from 15th c.]

   Kieran plays football with other boys in his school.

   • 1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Zachary [Zechariah] viij:[5], folio xcix, recto, column 2:

     The ſtretes of the cite alſo ſhalbe full of yonge boyes and damſelles, playnge vpon the ſtretes.

   • 1711 March 18 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Jonathan Swift, “[Dr. Swift’s Journal to Stella.] Letter XVII.”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume XIV, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 371:

     I find I was mistaken in the sex, it is a boy.

   • 1812, Lord Byron, “Canto II”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, London: Printed for John Murray, […]; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and John Cumming, Dublin; by Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, stanza XXIII, page 72:

     Ah! happy years! once more who would not be a boy?

   1. (particularly) A male child or adolescent, as distinguished from an infant or adult.
      • 1876, Frances Eliza Millett Notley, “A Tale of Love”, in The Kiddle-a-Wink‎^[1], page 168:

        "He is not quite a baby, Alfred," said Ellen, "though he is only a big stupid boy. We have made him miserable enough. Let us leave him alone."

3. (diminutive, especially with a possessive) A son of any age.
   • 1805, Walter Scott, “Canto Fourth”, in The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem, London: […] [James Ballantyne] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […], and A[rchibald] Constable and Co., […], →OCLC, stanza II, page 94:

     Low as that tide has ebbed with me, / It still reflects to memory’s eye / The hour, my brave, my only boy, / Fell by the side of great Dundee.

   • 2015, Gordon Smith, “Five-O” (38:10 from the start), in Better Call Saul, season 1, episode 6, spoken by Michael Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks):

     I tried. I tried. But he wouldn't listen. My boy was stubborn. My boy was strong. And he was gonna get himself killed. Now I told him, I told him I did it too. That I was like Hoffman, getting by, and that's what you heard that night: me talking him down, him kicking and screaming until the fight went out of him. He put me up on a pedestal. And I had to show him that I was down in the gutter with the rest of them. Broke my boy. I broke my boy.

4. (endearing, diminutive) A male human younger than the speaker. [from 17th c.]
5. (informal, sometimes mildly derogatory) A male human of any age, as opposed to a "girl" (female human of any age).

   boys' club

   • 1889, Rudyard Kipling, “The Education of Otis Yeere”, in Under the Deodars, Boston: The Greenock Press, published 1899, page 10:

     "My dear girl, what has he done?" said Mrs. Mallowe, sweetly. It is noticeable that ladies of a certain age call each other "dear girl," just as commissioners of twenty-eight years' standing address their equals in the Civil List as "my boy."

   • 1989 December 10, Tatiana Schreiber, Liz Galst, Emma Stonebridge, “Drawing The Line: Lesbian Sex And Art: What Do You Like, How Do You Decide?”, in Gay Community News, volume 17, number 22, page 9:

     It opened up a whole range [of feelings]. Some of them we were prepared for ― like for some women to feel some of the images were anti-feminist […] One woman wrote, "I can see the boys have taught you well." "Macho B.S.," someone else wrote.

6. (obsolete) A male of low station, (especially as pejorative) a worthless male, a wretch; a mean and dishonest male, a knave. [14th–17th c.]
   • c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv], signature [C4], verso:

     Do’ſt thou call mee foole boy?

7. (now rare and usually offensive outside some Commonwealth nations) A male servant, slave, assistant, or employee, [from 14th c.] particularly:
   • 1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 211:

     He allowed his ‘boy’ - an overfed young negro from the coast - to treat the white men, under his very eyes, with provoking insolence.

   • 1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow, 1st US edition, New York: Viking Press, →ISBN, part 1: Beyond the Zero, page 37:

     “Why does he go out and pinch all his dogs in person? He’s an administrator, isn’t he? Wouldn’t he hire a boy or something?”
     “We call them ‘staff,’” Roger replies, […]

   1. A younger such worker.
      • 1721, Penelope Aubin, The Life of Madam de Beaumount, ii, 36:

        I resolved to continue in the Cave, with my two Servants, my Maid, and a Boy, whom I had brought from France.

   2. (historical or offensive) A non-white male servant regardless of age, [from 17th c.] particularly as a form of address.
      • 1625, W. Hawkins in Samuel Purchas, Hakluytus Posthumus or Purchas his Pilgrimes, Vol. I, iii, vii, 211:

        My Boy Stephen Grauener.

      • 1834, Edward Markham, New Zealand or Recollections of It, section 72:

        They picked out two of the strongest of the Boys (as they call the Men) about the place.

      • 1876, Ebenezer Thorne, The Queen of the Colonies, or, Queensland as I Knew It‎^[2], section 58:

        The blacks who work on a station or farm are always, like the blacks in the Southern States, called boys.

      • 1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 233:

        From a domestic point of view the advent of the Chinese was a decided blessing, for, instead of the European ladies of the settlement having to do all their own work, they were able to employ a proper staff of Chinese boys.

      • 1907 May 13, Evening Post, N.Y, section 6:

        [In Shanghai,] The register clerk assigns you to a room, and instead of ‘Front!’ he shouts ‘Boy!’

      • 1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 521:

        He thrust his head into the aisle. "Boy!" A Chinese in a white coat responded listlessly. "What will you have? Beer?"

      • 1960 February 5, Northern Territory News, 5/5:

        Aborigine Wally... described himself as ‘number one boy’ at the station.

   3. (obsolete) A male camp follower.
      • 1572, Flavius Vegetius Renatus, translated by John Sadler, Foure Bookes... Contayninge a Plaine Forme, and Perfect Knowledge of Martiall Policye..., iii, vii:

        If any water be rough and boysterous, or the chanell verye broade, it manye times drowneth the carriages and the boyes and nowe and then slouthfull and lyther souldiours.

      • 1599 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The Cronicle History of Henry the Fift, […] (First Quarto), London: […] Thomas Creede, for Tho[mas] Millington, and Iohn Busby […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii], signature [E4], verso:

        Godes plud kil the boyes and the lugyge,
        Tis the arrants peece of knauery […]

8. (now offensive) Any non-white male, regardless of age. [from 19th c.]
   • 1812, Anne Plumptre translating Hinrich Lichtenstein, Travels in Southern Africa, in the Years 1803, 1804, 1805, and 1806, Vol. I, i, viii, 119:

     A Hottentot... expects to be called by his name if addressed by any one who knows it; and by those to whom it is not known he expects to be called Hottentot... or boy.

   • 1888, Louis Diston Powles, Land of Pink Pearl, or Recollections of Life in the Bahamas, section 66:

     Every darky, however old, is a boy.

   • 1973 September 8, Black Panther, 7/2:

     [In Alabama,] Guards still use the term ‘boy’ to refer to Black prisoners.

   • 1979, Bert Newton, Mohammed Ali, The Logie Awards‎^[3]:

     BN: [repeating a catchphrase] I like the boy.
     MA: [to hostile audience] Hold it, hold it, hold it. Easy. Did you say ‘Roy’ or ‘boy’?
     BN: ‘I like the boy’. There's nothing wrong with saying that... Hang on, hang on, hang on... I'll change religion, I'll do anything for ya, I don't bloody care... What's wrong with saying that? ‘I like the boy’?
     MA: Boy...
     BN: I mean, I like the man. I'm sorry, Muhammad.

9. (informal, especially with a possessive) A male friend.
   • 1980, Paul Simon, “Late in the Evening”, in One-Trick Pony:

     The next thing I remember, I am walking down the street / I'm feeling all right, I'm with my boys, I'm with my troops, yeah.

10. (BDSM) A male submissive.
11. A male non-human animal, especially, in affectionate address, a male pet, especially a dog. [from 15th c.]

    C'mere, boy! Good boy! Who's a good boy?

    Are you getting a boy cat or a girl cat?

12. (historical, military) A former low rank of various armed services; a holder of this rank.
    • 1841 May 6, Times, London, 5/4:

      Wounded... 1 Boy, 1st class, severely.

    • 1963 April 30, Times, London, 16/2:

      He joined the Navy as a boy second class in 1898.

13. (US, slang, uncountable) Heroin. [from 20th c.]
    • 2021, Tim Weber, Heroin: the Ripple Effect:

      […] drove by a corner, saw what I thought—no, what I knew—were dealers and asked if they knew where I could get some boy.

14. (somewhat childish) A male (tree, gene, etc).
    • 1950, Pageant:

      Are there “boy” trees and “girl” trees? Yes. A number of species, among them the yew, holly and date-bearing palm, have their male and female flowers on different trees. The male holly, for instance, must be planted fairly close to the female ...

    • 1970 [earlier 1963], Helen V. Wilson, Helen Van Pelt, Helen Van Pelt's African Violets, Dutton Adult (→ISBN):

      Of the 100 percent total, 25 will have two girl genes, 50 will have one boy and one girl gene, and 25 will have two boy genes.

Alternative forms

• boi

Synonyms

• (young male): See Thesaurus:boy
• (diminutive term of address to males): chap, guy, lad, mate
• (son): See son
• (male servant): manservant
• (disreputable man): brat, knave, squirt
• (heroin): See Thesaurus:heroin

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of “young male”): See Thesaurus:girl

Derived terms

• aceboy
• all-boys
• all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy
• alphabet boy
• altar boy
• antiboy
• area boy
• atta boy
• attaboy
• baby boy
• backroom boy
• bad boy
• bad-boy
• bagboy
• bag boy
• ball boy
• banjee boy
• barboy
• Barnardo's boy
• barra boy
• barrow-boy
• barrow boy
• Barry boy
• bat boy
• batboy
• batty boy
• b-boy
• B-boy
• beachboy
• bellboy
• bell boy
• bendy-boy
• best boy
• big boy
• big boy pants
• big-boy pants
• big boys
• bimboy
• bioboy
• birl
• birthday boy
• bitchboy
• black boy
• blackboy
• blood boy
• blue-eyed boy
• boat boy
• boi
• bonfire boy
• book-boy
• boot boy
• boot-boy
• bootboy
• boss boy
• bovver boy
• box boy
• boy band
• boy-bishop
• boy bishop
• boy bits
• boychild
• boycock
• boy crazy
• boy-crazy
• boy cunt
• boy-cunt
• boy-cut
• boydem
• boydick
• boydyke
• boyeen
• boyey
• boy-friend
• boy friend
• boyfriend
• boyfu
• boyfucker
• boy-girl
• boy group
• boy hole
• boyhood
• boy howdy
• boy in blue
• boy in buttons
• boy in the boat
• boyish
• boyism
• boyitis
• boy juice
• boykin
• boykind
• boyleg
• boylesque
• boyless
• boylet
• boylike
• boylove
• boylover
• boyloving
• boyly
• boy meets girl
• boy-meets-girl
• boymode
• boy mom
• boyness
• boy next door
• boy-next-door
• boyo
• boy off
• boy oh boy
• boyology
• boy or girl paradox
• boy parts
• boy preggers
• boyproof
• boy pussy
• boy racer
• boys and girls
• boys and their toys
• boy scout
• Boy Scout
• boy scoutish
• boy-short
• boy-shorts
• boy shorts
• boyshorts
• boyslash
• boys of summer
• boys will be boys
• boy talk
• boytjie
• boytoy
• boy-toy
• boy toy
• boywife
• boy wonder
• boyzilian
• breaker boy
• brotherboy
• broth of a boy
• bubble boy
• bubble boy disease
• bubble boy syndrome
• buddy boy
• bug boy
• bully boy
• bully-boy
• bum boy
• bumboy
• busboy
• bus boy
• bushboy
• business boy
• bussy
• butcher boy
• cabana boy
• cabin-boy
• cabin boy
• cake boy
• call boy
• call-boy
• callboy
• camboy
• cash boy
• catboy
• caveboy
• CC boy
• charity boy
• Chelsea boy
• cherry boy
• chickboy
• chick boy
• Chinaboy
• choir boy
• choirboy
• choreboy
• cis boy
• cisboy
• city boy
• climbing-boy
• climbing boy
• college boy
• collegeboy
• conyo boy
• copyboy
• copy boy
• corner boy
• cover boy
• cowboy
• cuntboy
• daddy's boy
• damber
• day boy
• dayboy
• delivery boy
• demiboy
• dolly-boy
• donkey-boy
• doughboy
• dough boy
• drawboy
• dressing-boy
• Dutch boy
• Earthboy
• e-boy
• every good boy deserves favor
• every good boy deserves favour
• every good boy deserves food
• every good boy deserves fudge
• every good boy deserves fun
• every good boy does fine
• fag boy
• fagboy
• fag-boy
• fair-haired boy
• fanboy
• farmboy
• farm boy
• fboy
• femboy
• fireboy
• fisherboy
• flyboy
• fly-boy
• footboy
• frat boy
• friendboy
• friend boy
• fuck boy
• fuck-boy
• funny boy
• garden boy
• gay boy
• gayboy
• gay tyke boy
• gentleboy
• girl-boy
• girls and boys
• glory boy
• glowboy
• God boy
• golden boy
• golden shower boy
• good boy
• good ol' boy
• good old boy
• good old boy network
• good ole boy
• goshwowboyoboy
• grandboy
• grease boy
• Greenboy
• Green Mountain boy
• haut-boy
• hawk boy
• head boy
• henchboy
• herdboy
• herdsboy
• hod boy
• homeboy
• Honeyboy
• hoo-boy
• hoo boy
• hopper boy
• horse boy
• house-boy
• house boy
• houseboy
• Indian boys and girls
• It boy
• jack-boy
• jack boy
• Jewboy
• jobs for the boys
• jolly boy
• kanto boy
• kept boy
• keyboy
• kitchen-boy
• knife-boy
• lady boy
• ladyboy
• lardboy
• laughing boy
• lawnboy
• lazyboy
• leatherboy
• liftboy
• link boy
• little boy
• little boys room
• loblolly boy
• loverboy
• lover boy
• lowboy
• mama's boy
• mamma's boy
• man and boy
• man boy
• man-boy
• manboy
• M and M boys
• merboy
• milkboy
• momma's boy
• mommy's boy
• moneyboy
• monkey boy
• monster boy
• mummy's boy
• muscle boy
• my boy
• nancy boy
• nancyboy
• nerdboy
• newsboy
• newspaperboy
• nigger-boy
• niggerboy
• no-no boy
• Oakboy
• office boy
• oh boy
• old boy
• old boy network
• old-boy network
• our boy
• page boy
• pageboy
• paperboy
• party boy
• Peck's bad boy
• peg boy
• Perry boy
• pick-me boy
• pieboy
• pissboy
• pizza boy
• playboy
• ploughboy
• plowboy
• po' boy
• po' boy bread
• pony boy
• ponyboy
• pool boy
• poor boy
• poor little rich boy
• postboy
• post boy
• poster boy
• pot boy
• potboy
• prat boy
• pretty boy
• principal boy
• pull-up boy
• pussy-boy
• pussyboy
• pussy boy
• quarterboy
• ranchboy
• Ratboy
• rent boy
• roaring boy
• rude boy
• rudeboy
• rugby boy
• saga boy
• sailor boy
• salesboy
• sandboy
• schoolboy
• scooterboy
• sea boy
• send a boy to do a man's job
• separate the men from the boys
• shag-boy
• shamba boy
• shanty boy
• shoeshine boy
• shoot the messenger boy
• shopboy
• showboy
• sideboy
• since Adam was a boy
• since Adam was an oakum boy
• since Adam was an oakum boy in Chatham Dockyard
• slave boy
• slaveboy
• slicky boy
• Small Party of Good Boys
• snowboy
• soap boy
• soft boy
• softboy
• sonny boy
• soulboy
• soy boy
• Spudboy
• stable boy
• stable-boy
• stableboy
• starboy
• Steelboy
• stick boy
• stockboy
• stock-boy
• stock boy
• suckboy
• suck-boy
• superboy
• tallboy
• t-boy
• teaboy
• teddy boy
• Teddy boy
• telegraph boy
• the boys
• tomboy
• tom boy
• ton-up boy
• toy boy
• toy-boy
• toyboy
• traffic boy
• transboy
• trans boy
• trash boy
• turnboy
• unboy
• valley boy
• water boy
• wet boy
• when Adam was an oakum boy
• when Adam was an oakum boy in Chatham Dockyard
• whipping boy
• whiteboy
• white boy
• Whiteboy
• white boy wasted
• who's a good boy
• who's a pretty boy then
• wide boy
• wolf boy
• wonderboy
• wrenboy
• ya boy
• Yahoo boy
• yahoo-yahoo boy
• Yellow Boy
• yellow boy
• young boy
• your boy

Descendants

• Jamaican Creole: bwoy
• Sranan Tongo: boi, boy
• → Cebuano: boy
• → Chinese: boy
• → Dutch: boy
  • → French: boy
    • → Lingala: bɔ́i
  • → Indonesian: boi
• → German: Boy
• → Hungarian: boy
• → Iraqi Arabic: بوي
• → Italian: boy
• → Japanese: ボーイ (bōi)
• → Polish: boy
• → Russian: бой (boj)
• → Spanish: boy
• → Swahili: boi
• → Tagalog: boy
• → Vietnamese: bồi
• → Welsh: boi

Translations

young male

• Afar: awka
• Afrikaans: seun (af), jongman
• Albanian: djalë (sq) m, çun (sq) m, cull (sq) m, voc (sq) m
• Aleut: hlax
• Alutiiq: nukaɫpiaq
• American Sign Language: FlatC@Forehead Flatten FlatO@Forehead
• Arabic: صَبِيّ m (ṣabiyy), فَتًى m (fatan), غُلَام (ar) m (ḡulām)

  Chadian Arabic: وليد m (wilēd), ولد m (walad)

  Egyptian Arabic: ولد m (walad), صبيان m pl (ṣubyān)

  Hijazi Arabic: ولد m (walad), بزر m (bazir) (colloquial)

• Armenian: տղա (hy) (tġa)
• Aromanian: hilj
• Assamese: ল’ৰা (löra)
• Asturian: neñu (ast) m, mozu (ast) m
• Azerbaijani: oğlan (az)
• Bashkir: малай (malay)
• Basque: mutil (eu), mutiko (eu)
• Bavarian: Bua m
• Belarusian: хло́пец m (xlópjec), хло́пчык m (xlópčyk)
• Bengali: ছেলে (bn) (chele), ছোকরা (bn) (chōkra)
• Bhojpuri: लइका (laikā)
• Bislama: boe
• Bodo (Central Africa): ^{(please verify)} ܛܰܠܝܳܐ (telnoa)
• Bole: lawo
• Breton: paotr (br) m
• Bulgarian: момче́ (bg) n (momčé)
• Burmese: ကလေး (my) (ka.le:), ချာတိတ် (my) (hkyatit), သူငယ် (my) (su-ngai)
• Cahuilla: 'eqwashmal
• Catalan: noi (ca) m, al·lot (ca) m, xiquet (ca) m, xic (ca) m, xicot (ca) m
• Central Siberian Yupik: nukaɫpegaq
• Central Sierra Miwok: ĉalí
• Chamicuro: meploneye
• Chechen: кӏант (kʼant)
• Cherokee: ᎠᏧᏣ (atsutsa)
• Chichewa: mnyamata
• Chickasaw: chipota nakni'
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 男仔 (naam⁴ zai²)

  Dungan: щёхуәзы (xi͡ohuəzɨ), щёхуәр (xi͡ohuər), эрвазы (ervazɨ)

  Hokkien: 丈夫囡仔 (ta-po͘-gín-á, cha-po͘-gín-á), 查埔𡢃仔 / 查埔㛠仔 (cha-po͘-kán-á)

  Mandarin: 男孩 (zh) (nánhái), 少年 (zh) (shàonián), 男孩子 (zh) (nánháizi), 小伙子 (zh) (xiǎohuǒzi)

• Chuvash: ача (ač̬a)
• Cornish: maw m
• Crimean Tatar: oğlan
• Czech: chlapec (cs) m, hoch (cs) m, kluk (cs) m
• Danish: dreng (da) c
• Darkinjung: wungara
• Dogrib: dǫzhìa
• Dolgan: уол
• Dutch: jongen (nl) m
• Egyptian: (jd)
• Elfdalian: påyk m
• Erzya: цёрыне (ćorïne)
• Eshtehardi: فوره m (fōra)
• Esperanto: knabo (eo), knabiĉo
• Estonian: poiss (et)
• Evenki: омолги (omolgi)
• Faroese: drongur (fo) m, piltur m
• Finnish: poika (fi) m
• French: garçon (fr) m

  Old French: valet

• Friulian: frut m, frutat m
• Galician: neno (gl) m, rapaz (gl) m, raparigo m, petís m, catuxo m, boíno m
• Gallo: gartz m
• Georgian: ბიჭი (ka) (bič̣i)
• German: Junge (de) m, Bube (de) m

  Alemannic German: Bueb m

• Gothic: 𐌼𐌰𐌲𐌿𐍃 m (magus)
• Greek: αγόρι (el) n (agóri)

  Ancient Greek: μειράκιον n (meirákion)

• Greenlandic: nukappiaraq
• Gujarati: છોકરો (gu) (chokro)
• Haitian Creole: (ti)gason
• Hausa: yaro, yārṑ
• Hawaiian: keiki kāne (child), kāne ʻōpio (young man)
• Hebrew: יֶלֶד (he) m (yéled) (child), נַעַר (he) (na'ár) (teens or twenties), בָּחוּר (he) m (bakhúr) (teens or twenties)
• Hindi: लड़का (hi) m (laṛkā), बच्चा (hi) m (baccā)
• Hiri Motu: mero
• Hungarian: fiú (hu), csávó (hu) (slang), srác (hu) (informal)
• Icelandic: strákur (is) m, drengur (is) m
• Ido: yunulo (io), puerulo (io), infantulo (io)
• Indonesian: anak laki-laki (id), anak lelaki
• Ingrian: poika, poissi
• Ingush: кӏаьнк (kʼänk)
• Interlingua: pupo, puero m, garson
• Inuktitut: nukatpiraq
• Inupiaq: nugatpiaq
• Irish: buachaill (ga) m, garsún m

  Old Irish: macc m

• Isoko: ọmọzaị
• Italian: ragazzo (it) m (young man), bambino (it) m (child); ragazzino (it) m (teenager); maschietto (it) m, maschio (it) m
• Jamaican Creole: bwoi, bwai
• Japanese: 男の子 (ja) (おとこのこ, otoko no ko), 少年 (ja) (しょうねん, shōnen), 男子 (ja) (だんし, danshi) (young man), 坊や (ja) (ぼうや, bōya)
• Jeju: 남ᄌᆞ아이 (namjawai)
• Jingpho: la kasha
• Kabyle: aqcic m, arrac m pl, aqṛuṛ m, iqṛaṛ m pl, arrac m pl
• Kaitag: урши́ (urší)
• Kalmyk: көвүн (kövün)
• Kamta: চেংৰা (seṅra)
• Kaqchikel: ak’wal
• Kazakh: бала (kk) (bala)
• Khmer: ក្មេងប្រុស (kmeeng proh)
• Khowar: ڈَق (ḍaq)
• Korean: 소년(少年) (ko) (sonyeon), 남자아이 (ko) (namjaai), 남자애 (namjaae), 아이 (ko) (ai), 꼬마 (ko) (kkoma), 사내아이 (ko) (sanaeai)
• Krio: bobo
• Kurdish:

  Central Kurdish: کور (kur)

  Northern Kurdish: kur (ku), xort (ku), kurik (ku)

• Kyrgyz: бала (ky) (bala)
• Lao: ເດັກຜູ້ຊາຍ (dek phū sāi), ທາລົກ (thā lok)
• Latin: puer (la) m
• Latvian: puika (lv), zēns (lv) m, puisis m, puika (lv) m
• Laz: biç̌i, ბიჭი (biç̌i)
• Lembena: ome
• Lepcha: ᰊᰃᰥᰧᰀᰪᰱ (tagrikup), ᰣᰩᰵ (óng)
• Limburgish: jóng (li) m
• Lithuanian: berniukas m
• Lombard: bagai (lmo), tos (lmo)
• Lorrain: gachon, drole
• Louisiana Creole French: gaçon, gason, ti boug, jènn boug
• Luxembourgish: Bouf (lb)
• Macedonian: момче (mk) n (momče)
• Malay: budak lelaki
• Malayalam: ആൺകുട്ടി (āṇkuṭṭi)
• Maltese: tifel (mt) m, sabi m
• Manchu: ᡥᠠᡥᠠ
  ᠵᡠᡳ (haha jui)
• Manx: boie, guilley, myrneen, scollag
• Maori: tamaiti tāne, tama (mi) (male child); taitama (young man)
• Marathi: मुलगा m (mulgā), पोरगा (mr) m (porgā)
• Mari:

  Eastern Mari: рвезе (rveze)

  Western Mari: рвезе (rveze)

• Maricopa: mhay
• Mazanderani: ریکا
• Mbyá Guaraní: ava'i
• Middle Breton: poltr m
• Middle English: knave
• Myene: onghwan'onome
• Mòcheno: pua m
• Mohawk: raksà:ʼa
• Mongolian:

  Cyrillic: хүү (mn) (xüü), хөвүүн (mn) (xövüün), хөвгүүн (mn) (xövgüün)

  Mongolian: ᠬᠦᠦ (küü), ᠬᠥ᠋ᠪᠡᠭᠦᠨ (köbegün), ᠬᠥᠪᠡᠭᠦᠨ (köbegün)

• Motu: mero
• Naga Pidgin: chokra, mota
• Nama: axab
• Navajo: ashkii
• Neapolitan: guaglione
• Nepali: केटा (keṭā)
• Nivkh: уткуоӻла (utkuoġla), азмытьэӻлӈ (azməțeġlŋ)
• Norman: garçon m
• North Frisian: dräng m (Mooring), dring m (Föhr-Amrum)
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: gutt (no) m, tenåringsgutt m

  Nynorsk: gut m, tenåringsgut m

• O'odham: ceoj
• Occitan: dròlle (oc) m, gojat (oc), gojardàs, garç, garçon
• Old Church Slavonic:

  Cyrillic: отрокъ m (otrokŭ), дѣтищъ m (dětištŭ), паробъкъ m (parobŭkŭ)

• Old English: cniht m
• Old Occitan: gart, guart
• Old Prussian: wāiklis
• Old Uyghur: 𐽰𐽳𐽲𐽳𐾁 (ʾwqwl)
• Ossetian: лӕппу (læppu), лӕппо (læppo) (in Digor)
• Ottoman Turkish: اوشاق (uşak)
• Pannonian Rusyn: хлапец m (xlapec)
• Pashto: هلک (ps) m (halək), ووړکی m (woṛkai)
• Pennsylvania German: Buh
• Persian:

  Dari: بَچَه (bača), بَچَّه (bačča)

  Iranian Persian: پِسَر (pesar), پُس (pos), جَوانَک (javânak)

• Picard: garchon m
• Pijin: boe
• Polish: chłopiec (pl) m pers, chłopak (pl) m pers, chłopczyk (pl) m
• Portuguese: garoto (pt) m, menino (pt) m (child), rapaz (pt) m (youngster), moço (pt), puto (pt) m (Portugal), miúdo (pt) m (Portugal), mancebo (pt) (Angola)
• Punjabi: ਮੁੰਡਾ (muṇḍā)
• Romagnol: burdël m, bastêrd m (Faenza)
• Romani: ćhavo (Romani), raklo (non-Romani)
• Romanian: băiat (ro), fiu (ro)
• Romansch: mat, giuven, buob
• Russian: ма́льчик (ru) m (málʹčik) (child), ю́ноша (ru) m (júnoša), па́рень (ru) m (párenʹ), подро́сток (ru) m (podróstok) (adolescent), паца́н (ru) m (pacán) (slang)
• Réunion Creole French: garson m
• Sami:

  Inari: kandâ, pärni

  Northern: bárdni, gánda

  Skolt: âˊlǧǧ

  Southern: baernie

• Sanskrit: बटु (sa) m (baṭu)
• Scots: lad, laddie
• Scottish Gaelic: balach (gd) m, balachan (gd) m, gille (gd) m
• Seraiki: چُھوہَر (skr) (chūhar)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: дѐча̄к m, дјѐча̄к m

  Roman: dèčāk (sh) m, djèčāk (sh) m

• Sicilian: picciriddu (scn) m (child), picciottu (scn) m (teenager), carusu (scn) m
• Sirenik: nukeɫpegaẋ
• Slovak: chlapec (sk) m
• Slovene: fant (sl) m, deček (sl) m
• Somali: inan
• Sorbian:

  Lower Sorbian: gólc m

• Sotho: moshemane
• Southern Altai: уул бала (uul bala), уул (uul)
• Spanish: niño (es) m (child), chico (es) m (teens or twenties), muchacho (es) m (teens or twenties), chaval (es) m (slang), varón (es) m, (gender specification: boy or girl?) ¿varón o mujer?
• Sranan Tongo: boy
• Svan: ჭყინტ (č̣q̇inṭ)
• Swahili: kijana (sw)
• Swedish: pojke (sv) c, kille (sv) c
• Sylheti: ꠙꠥꠀ (fua)
• Tabasaran: бай (baj)
• Tagalog: lalaki (tl) (of any age), batang lalaki (child)
• Tajik: писар (pisar), писарбача (tg) (pisarbača)
• Talysh:

  Asalemi: زوئه (zua)

• Tamil: பய்யன் (payyaṉ), பையன் (ta) (paiyaṉ), பையல் (ta) (paiyal), பைதல் (ta) (paital)
• Taos: ə̀wyuʼúna
• Tarifit: aḥenjir m, aniybu m
• Telugu: బాలుడు (te) (bāluḍu), అబ్బాయి (te) (abbāyi), యువకుడు (te) (yuvakuḍu)
• Thai: เด็กผู้ชาย (th) (dèk-pûu-chaai), เด็กชาย (th) (dèk-chaai)
• Tocharian B: kālyśke, śamaśke
• Tok Pisin: boi
• Tongan: tamasi'i
• Turkish: oğlan (tr)
• Turkmen: oglan
• Tuvan: оол (ool), оол оглу (ool oglu)
• Udmurt: пияш (pijaš)
• Ugaritic: 𐎐𐎓𐎗 (nʿr)
• Ukrainian: хло́пець (uk) m (xlópecʹ), хло́пчик m (xlópčyk)
• Urdu: لَڑْکا (ur) m (laṛkā)
• Uyghur: بالا (ug) (bala)
• Uzbek: bola (uz)
• Venetan: tóxo m, toxo (vec) m, toxato m, toxàt m, butèl (vec) m, bòcia (vec) m
• Vietnamese: con trai (vi), trai (vi)
• Volapük: pul (vo), hipul (vo) (male), hicil (vo) (female)
• Walloon: valet (wa) m, gamén (wa) m
• Welsh: bachgen (cy) m, bechgyn (cy) pl
• West Frisian: jonge c
• Winnebago: hocįcį
• Yagara: budgera
• Yakut: уол (uol)
• Yámana: yaxaki
• Yiddish: ייִנגל n (yingl)
• Yoruba: ọmọkùnrin
• Yucatec Maya: xiʼipal
• Yup'ik: nukaɫpiaq
• Zazaki: laj (diq) m
• Zulu: umfana (zu) class 1/2

son of any age

• Finnish: poika (fi)
• Kaitag: урши́ (urší)
• Latin: fīlius (la) m
• Marathi: पुत्र m (putra), सुपुत्र m (suputra), मुलगा m (mulgā)
• Ottoman Turkish: اوغل (oğul)

male human younger than the speaker

• Finnish: poika (fi)

lower-class or disreputable man

male servant

• Afrikaans: jong boy (slang)
• Basque: morroi
• Bulgarian: слуга́ (bg) m (slugá)
• Catalan: minyó (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 男僕 / 男仆 (zh) (nánpú)

• Dutch: boy (nl), huisboy m
• Finnish: poika (fi)
• French: garçon (fr) m, boy (fr) m (formerly, African male servant in colonies)
• German: Knappe (de) m, Boy (de) m
• Greek: αγόρι (el) n (agóri)
• Hungarian: szolga (hu)
• Irish: buachaill (ga) m
• Italian: ragazzo (it) m
• Japanese: ボーイ (ja) (bōi)
• Lao: ໂບຍ (bōi), ບ່າວໃຊ້ (bāo sai)
• Latin: puer (la) m, servus (la) m
• Latvian: puisis m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: tjenestegutt m

• Ottoman Turkish: اوشاق (uşak)
• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: نُوْکَر (nowkar), ریدَک (ridak)

• Portuguese: criado (pt) m
• Russian: слуга́ (ru) m or f (slugá), лаке́й (ru) m (lakéj), ма́льчик на побегу́шках m (málʹčik na pobegúškax)
• Scots: lad, laddie
• Scottish Gaelic: gille (gd) m
• Telugu: సేవకుడు (te) (sēvakuḍu), కూలివాడు (te) (kūlivāḍu), పనివాడు (te) (panivāḍu)
• Ukrainian: козачо́к (uk) m (kozačók)
• Zazaki: desterma c

historical: non-white male servant

• Dutch: boy (nl) m
• French: boy (fr) m

non-white male

• Basque: beltz
• Dutch: nikker (nl) m
• Hungarian: fekete (hu)
• Icelandic: negri m (often considered offensive)
• Italian: negro (it) m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: negergutt m, neger (no) m, nigger (no) m

  Nynorsk: negergut m, neger m, nigger m

• Russian: черноко́жий (ru) m (černokóžij)

male of any age, used as a friendly diminutive

• Basque: mutil (eu), motel
• Catalan: home (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 男生 (zh) (nánshēng)

• Czech: chlapec (cs) m
• Danish: knægt (da) c
• Dutch: jongen (nl) m, kerel (nl) m
• Esperanto: ulo (eo)
• Finnish: poika (fi)
• French: gars (fr) m (informal)
• German: Junge (de) m, Bursche (de) m, Kerl (de) m
• Greek: αγόρι (el) n (agóri)
• Icelandic: strákur (is) m
• Inari Sami: kandâ, pärni
• Indonesian: pria (id), laki-laki (id)
• Irish: buachaill (ga) m
• Italian: ragazzo (it) m
• Malay: lelaki (ms)
• Neapolitan: compare m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: gutt (no) m

  Nynorsk: gut m

• Portuguese: rapaz (pt) m, moço (pt) m
• Romanian: băiat (ro) m
• Russian: мужчи́на (ru) m (mužčína)
• Scots: lad, laddie
• Scottish Gaelic: balach (gd) m, gille (gd) m
• Sicilian: picciottu (scn) m
• Slovak: chlapec (sk)
• Spanish: chico (es) m, muchacho (es) m
• Swedish: kille (sv), grabb (sv)
• Telugu: కుర్రవాడు (te) (kurravāḍu), అబ్బాయి (te) (abbāyi), మగవాడు (te) (magavāḍu), కుఱ్ఱవాడు (kuṟṟavāḍu)
• Tongan: tamasi'i

male friend

• Afrikaans: man boy (slang)
• Basque: mutil (eu)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 老弟 (zh) (lǎodì)

• Czech: chlapec (cs) m, kluk (cs) m
• Danish: dreng (da) c
• Dutch: man (nl) m, jongen (nl) m, kerel (nl) m, boy (nl) m (mostly said by female speakers)
• Finnish: kaveri (fi)
• French: garçon (fr) m, gars (fr) m
• German: Jung (de) m
• Hungarian: haverok, fiúk (hu), srácok (hu)
• Icelandic: strákur (is) m
• Italian: ragazzo (it) m
• Latin: amīcus (la) m
• Norwegian: kamerat (no) m, kompis m (informal)
• Portuguese: garoto (pt) m, menino (pt) m (mostly said by female speakers), rapaziada f (collective, mostly said by male speakers), turma (pt) f (collective), galera (pt) f (collective), meninada (pt) f (collective)
• Russian: ребя́та (ru) m pl (rebjáta)
• Scottish Gaelic: balach (gd) m, gille (gd) m
• Sicilian: picciotto m
• Slovak: chlapec (sk)
• Telugu: అబ్బాయిలు (abbāyilu), కుర్రాళ్ళు (kurrāḷḷu)

affectionate term of address for male dog

• Finnish: poika (fi)
• Greek: αγόρι (el) n (agóri)
• Lithuanian: šuo (lt) m, gerutis m
• Portuguese: garotão m

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• Basque: ^{(please verify)} mutil (eu)
• Belarusian: ^{(please verify)} мужчына m (mužčyna)
• Breton: ^{(please verify)} paotr (br) m, ^{(please verify)} paotred (br) pl
• Catalan: ^{(please verify)} home (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: ^{(please verify)} 男人 (zh)

• Czech: ^{(please verify)} chlapec (cs) m
• Danish: ^{(please verify)} fyr (da) c
• Dutch: ^{(please verify)} kerel (nl) m, ^{(please verify)} knaap (nl) m
• French: ^{(please verify)} garçon (fr) m
• Georgian: ^{(please verify)} ბიჭი (ka) (bič̣i)
• German: ^{(please verify)} Kerl (de) m
• Greek: ^{(please verify)} αγόρι (el) n (agóri)
• Guaraní: ^{(please verify)} mitã
• Hungarian: ^{(please verify)} férfi (hu)
• Icelandic: ^{(please verify)} strákur (is) m
• Indonesian: ^{(please verify)} bujangan (id), ^{(please verify)} pria (id), ^{(please verify)} laki-laki (id)
• Interlingua: (child) ^{(please verify)} puero, (adolescent) ^{(please verify)} garson
• Italian: ^{(please verify)} ragazzo (it) m
• Japanese: ^{(please verify)} 男人 (ja) (おとこじん, otoko-jin), ^{(please verify)} 男前 (ja) (おとこまえ, otoko mae), ^{(please verify)} 男性 (ja) (だんせい, dansei)
• Norwegian: ^{(please verify)} mann (no), ^{(please verify)} kar (no), ^{(please verify)} fyr (no) m
• Portuguese: ^{(please verify)} garanhão (pt) m
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} tip (ro) m
• Romanian: ^{(please verify)} băiat (ro) m
• Russian: ^{(please verify)} мужчи́на (ru) m (mužčína)
• Scots: ^{(please verify)} lad, ^{(please verify)} laddie
• Sicilian: ^{(please verify)} picciottu (scn) m
• Slovak: ^{(please verify)} chlapec (sk)
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} యువకుడు (te) (yuvakuḍu)
• Telugu: ^{(please verify)} బాలుడు (te) (bāluḍu)
• Tupinambá: (child) ^{(please verify)} kurumĩ, (adolescent) ^{(please verify)} kurumĩgûasu
• Welsh: ^{(please verify)} bachgen (cy) m
• Woiwurrung: ^{(please verify)} e'an'in

Interjection

boy

1. Exclamation of surprise, pleasure or longing.

   Boy, that was close!

   Boy, that tastes good!

   Boy, I wish I could go to Canada!

   • 2020 December 2, Paul Bigland, “My weirdest and wackiest Rover yet”, in Rail, page 68:

     Time is running out, so I renounce a spin on a Class 387 for a fast run to Paddington on another Class 800 - a shame as the weather was perfect for pictures. Even so, it's enjoyable - boy, can those trains shift under the wires.

Related terms

• oh boy

Translations

surprise or pleasure

• Arabic: ياه (yāh)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 哇! (wā)

• Danish: mand (da)!
• Dutch: jongens (nl), tsjongejonge, zo! (nl), amai (nl) (Flemish)
• Finnish: pojat (fi)
• German: Junge, Junge!
• Portuguese: puxa (pt)
• Russian: блин (ru) (blin)
• Slovak: človeče (sk), chlapče
• Swahili: mvulana (sw)
• Swedish: gosse (sv)
• Tok Pisin: olaboi

Verb

boy (third-person singular simple present boys, present participle boying, simple past and past participle boyed)

1. (transitive) To act as a boy (in allusion to the former practice of boys acting women's parts on the stage).
   • c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene ii]:

     I shall see some squeaking Cleopatra boy my greatness.

Coordinate terms

• girl
• man

References

• “boy” in Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary: Based on Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 7th edition, Springfield, Mass.: G[eorge] & C[harles] Merriam, 1963 (1967 printing), →OCLC.

Anagrams

• BYO, Y. O. B., Y.O.B., YOB, YoB, byo, oby, yob

Azerbaijani

Other scripts

Cyrillic		бој
Abjad		بوْی

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /boj/

• Audio:

  (file)

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *bod (“body, stature; self; kin, tribe, etc”).

Noun

boy (definite accusative boyu, plural boylar)

1. height, stature

   Boyum balacadır. ― I'm short. (literally, “My stature is little.”)

Declension

Declension of boy

	singular	plural
nominative	boy	boylar
definite accusative	boyu	boyları
dative	boya	boylara
locative	boyda	boylarda
ablative	boydan	boylardan
definite genitive	boyun	boyların

Possessive forms of boy

	nominative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	boyum	boylarım
sənin (“your”)	boyun	boyların
onun (“his/her/its”)	boyu	boyları
bizim (“our”)	boyumuz	boylarımız
sizin (“your”)	boyunuz	boylarınız
onların (“their”)	boyu or boyları	boyları
	accusative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	boyumu	boylarımı
sənin (“your”)	boyunu	boylarını
onun (“his/her/its”)	boyunu	boylarını
bizim (“our”)	boyumuzu	boylarımızı
sizin (“your”)	boyunuzu	boylarınızı
onların (“their”)	boyunu or boylarını	boylarını
	dative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	boyuma	boylarıma
sənin (“your”)	boyuna	boylarına
onun (“his/her/its”)	boyuna	boylarına
bizim (“our”)	boyumuza	boylarımıza
sizin (“your”)	boyunuza	boylarınıza
onların (“their”)	boyuna or boylarına	boylarına
	locative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	boyumda	boylarımda
sənin (“your”)	boyunda	boylarında
onun (“his/her/its”)	boyunda	boylarında
bizim (“our”)	boyumuzda	boylarımızda
sizin (“your”)	boyunuzda	boylarınızda
onların (“their”)	boyunda or boylarında	boylarında
	ablative
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	boyumdan	boylarımdan
sənin (“your”)	boyundan	boylarından
onun (“his/her/its”)	boyundan	boylarından
bizim (“our”)	boyumuzdan	boylarımızdan
sizin (“your”)	boyunuzdan	boylarınızdan
onların (“their”)	boyundan or boylarından	boylarından
	genitive
	singular	plural
mənim (“my”)	boyumun	boylarımın
sənin (“your”)	boyunun	boylarının
onun (“his/her/its”)	boyunun	boylarının
bizim (“our”)	boyumuzun	boylarımızın
sizin (“your”)	boyunuzun	boylarınızın
onların (“their”)	boyunun or boylarının	boylarının

Derived terms

• boy-buxun
• boy-buxunlu
• boy-buxunluluq
• boya çatmaq
• boyaboy
• boylu
• boynuburuq
• boynuburuqluq
• boynuyoğun
• boyunca

Etymology 2

Interjection

boy

1. alternative form of bıy

Further reading

• “boy” in Obastan.com.

Cebuano

Etymology

From English boy.

Noun

boy

1. houseboy, errand boy

   Synonyms: houseboy, muchacho, mutsatso

Chibcha

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /βoi/, /βoɨ/

Noun

boy

1. alternative form of boi

References

• Gómez Aldana D. F., Análisis morfológico del Vocabulario 158 de la Biblioteca Nacional de Colombia. Grupo de Investigación Muysccubun. 2013.

Chinese

Etymology

From English boy.

Pronunciation

• Cantonese (Jyutping): boi¹

---

• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: boi¹
    • Yale: bōi
    • Cantonese Pinyin: boi¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: boi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɔːi̯⁵⁵/

Noun

boy

1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) The name of the Latin-script letter B/b.
2. (Hong Kong Cantonese) office boy

See also

• dog

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from English boy. Cognate with Middle Dutch boye (“young man, boy”), whence Dutch boi (“boy”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔi̯/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: boy
• Rhymes: -ɔi̯

Noun

boy m (plural boys, diminutive boytje n or (informal) boykie n)

1. (historical, now offensive) a male domestic servant, especially one with a darker skin in a colony

   Synonym: djongos (Indonesia)

2. (informal) boy, young man

   Ik vind die Roy echt een rare boy. ― I think this Roy is really a strange young man.

Derived terms

• mooiboy

Descendants

• → French: boy
  • → Lingala: bɔ́i
• → Indonesian: boi

See also

• guy

French

Etymology

Borrowed from English boy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bɔj/

• Audio; “cow-boy”:

  (file)

Noun

boy m (plural boys)

1. (now historical, offensive) boy (non-white male servant)
   • 1930, André Malraux, La Voie royale:

     Claude allait l'ouvrir mais le ton sur lequel le délégué appelait son boy lui fit lever la tête : l'auto attendait, bleue sous l'ampoule de la porte; le boy, qui s'était écarté – en voyant arriver le délégué sans doute – se rapprochait, hésitant.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Descendants

• → Lingala: bɔ́i

Further reading

• “boy”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Hungarian

Etymology

Borrowed from English boy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈboj]
• Hyphenation: boy
• Rhymes: -oj
• Homophone: boly

Noun

boy (plural boyok)

1. A young male servant, low-position assistant.
   1. bellboy (in a hotel)

      Synonym: londiner

   2. office boy, errand boy, deliveryman

      Synonyms: kifutófiú, kézbesítő

2. (dated) A male ballet dancer.

Declension

Inflection (stem in -o-, back harmony)

	singular	plural
nominative	boy	boyok
accusative	boyt	boyokat
dative	boynak	boyoknak
instrumental	boyjal	boyokkal
causal-final	boyért	boyokért
translative	boyjá	boyokká
terminative	boyig	boyokig
essive-formal	boyként	boyokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	boyban	boyokban
superessive	boyon	boyokon
adessive	boynál	boyoknál
illative	boyba	boyokba
sublative	boyra	boyokra
allative	boyhoz	boyokhoz
elative	boyból	boyokból
delative	boyról	boyokról
ablative	boytól	boyoktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	boyé	boyoké
non-attributive possessive – plural	boyéi	boyokéi

Possessive forms of boy

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	boyom	boyaim
2nd person sing.	boyod	boyaid
3rd person sing.	boya	boyai
1st person plural	boyunk	boyaink
2nd person plural	boyotok	boyaitok
3rd person plural	boyuk	boyaik

Derived terms

Compound words

• boyszolgálat

See also

• görl

Further reading

• boy in Nóra Ittzés, editor, A magyar nyelv nagyszótára [A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (Nszt.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 2006–2031 (work in progress; published a–ez as of 2024).

Italian

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism. In the sense "bellboy", a clipping of English bellboy; in other meanings, a transferred sense of English boy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔj/
• Rhymes: -ɔj
• Hyphenation: bòy

Noun

boy m (plural boys)

1. a male ballet dancer
2. bellboy (in a hotel)

Further reading

• boy in Treccani.it – Vocabolario Treccani on line, Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana

Ladino

Etymology

From Turkish boy (“stature, size”).

Noun

boy m

1. size
2. age

Middle English

Noun

boy

1. alternative form of boye

Polish

boy

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, derived from boy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbɔj/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔj
• Syllabification: boy
• Homophone: boj

Noun

boy m pers

1. bellboy, office boy

   Synonym: garson

Declension

Declension of boy

	singular	plural
nominative	boy	boye
genitive	boya	boyów
dative	boyowi	boyom
accusative	boya	boyów
instrumental	boyem	boyami
locative	boyu	boyach
vocative	boyu	boye

Further reading

• boy in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• boy in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Unadapted borrowing from English boy. In the sense office boy, an ellipsis of office boy, from English office boy.

Alternative forms

• bói

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔj/ [ˈbɔɪ̯]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈbɔj/

• Rhymes: -ɔj

Noun

boy m (plural boys)

1. office boy

   Synonym: office boy

2. (Brazil, slang) boyfriend (male partner)

   Synonyms: namorado, (gay slang) bofe

   Estou com meu boy. ― I am together with my boyfriend.

3. (Brazil, slang, sometimes derogatory) a young, upper-class man

   Synonyms: (Brazil) mauricinho, (Brazil) playboy

4. (Brazil, slang) young man

   Me declarei pro boy. ― I declared [my love] for the guy.

Derived terms

• boyceta
• boyzinho

Related terms

• cowboy
• motoboy
• office boy
• pit boy
• playboy

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /ˈboj/ [ˈboɪ̯]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /ˈboj/

• Rhymes: -oj

Noun

boy m (plural boys)

1. obsolete spelling of boi

Further reading

• “boy”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “boy”, in Dicio – Dicionário Online de Português (in Portuguese), São Paulo: 7Graus, 2009–2025
• “boy”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2025
• “boy”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “boy”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “boy”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Salar

Etymology

From Proto-Turkic *bȫg.

Pronunciation

• (Jiezi, Gaizi, Xunhua, Qinghai) IPA^(key): [poiʲ], [pojɨ]
• (Xunhua, Hualong, Qinghai, Yining, Xinjiang) IPA^(key): /poj/

Noun

boy

1. spider

References

• Potanin, G.N. (1893) “boy”, in Тангутско-Тибетская окраина Китая и Центральная Монголия (in Russian)
• Kakuk, S. (1962) “boy”, in “Un Vocabulaire Salar”, in Acta Orientalia Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae‎^[4], volume 14, number 2, Akadémiai Kiadó, →ISBN, pages 173-196
• Tenishev, Edhem (1976) “boy”, in Stroj salárskovo jazyká [Grammar of Salar], Moscow, pages 451-452
• 林莲云 [Lin Lianyun] (1985) “boy”, in 撒拉语简志 [A Brief History of Salar]‎^[5], Beijing: 民族出版社: 琴書店, →OCLC, page 121
• Ma, Chengjun, Han, Lianye, Ma, Weisheng (December 2010) “boy”, in 米娜瓦尔 艾比布拉 (Minavar Abibra), editor, 撒维汉词典 (Sāwéihàncídiǎn) [Salar-Uyghur-Chinese dictionary] (in Chinese), 1st edition, Beijing, →ISBN, page 50
• 马伟 (Ma Wei), 朝克 (Chao Ke) (2016) “boy”, in 濒危语言——撒拉语研究 [Endangered Languages ​​- Salar Language Studies], 青海 (Qinghai): 国家社会科学基金项目 (National Social Science Foundation Project), page 265

Spanish

Etymology

Pseudo-anglicism, derived from boy.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈboi/ [ˈboi̯]
• Rhymes: -oi
• Syllabification: boy

Noun

boy m (plural boys)

1. a male stripper

Further reading

• “boy”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10

Sranan Tongo

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /boi̯/, [bʊ̞i̯], [bɔ̝i̯]

Noun

boy

1. alternative form of boi (official spelling)

Tagalog

Etymology

Borrowed from English boy.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ˈboj/ [ˈboɪ̯]
• Rhymes: -oj
• Syllabification: boy
• Homophone: Boy

Noun

boy (Baybayin spelling ᜊᜓᜌ᜔) (colloquial)

1. boy (young male)
2. errand boy; houseboy; boy doing a menial job (usually young)

   Synonyms: mutsatso, utusan

Derived terms

• biniboy
• takatak boy
• yosi boy

Related terms

• boypren

See also

• bata
• itoy
• totoy

Further reading

• “boy”, in Pambansang Diksiyonaryo | Diksiyonaryo.ph, Manila, 2018

Turkish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [boj]

Etymology 1

From Proto-Turkic *bod. See dialectal bodur (“stout, short”).

Noun

boy (definite accusative boyu, plural boylar)

1. stature

   Boyun ne kadar? ― How tall are you? (lit. "How much is your stature?")

2. size

   küçük boy ― small size

Derived terms

• boylu
• boyluluk
• boysuz
• boysuzluk

Etymology 2

Noun

boy (definite accusative boyu, plural boylar)

1. tribe, clan

   eski Türk boyları tarihi ― history of ancient Turkish clans

Declension

Declension of boy

	singular	plural
nominative	boy	boylar
definite accusative	boyu	boyları
dative	boya	boylara
locative	boyda	boylarda
ablative	boydan	boylardan
genitive	boyun	boyların

Etymology 3

From Ottoman Turkish بوی (boy).

Noun

boy

1. (only constructed with otu or tohumu) fenugreek

   Synonym: çemen

References

• Clauson, Gerard (1972) “”, in An Etymological Dictionary of pre-thirteenth-century Turkish, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 384b
• Eren, Hasan (1999) “boy”, in Türk Dilinin Etimolojik Sözlüğü [Etymological Dictionary of the Turkish Language]‎^[6] (in Turkish), Ankara: Bizim Büro Basım Evi, page 59a