Etymology

boyfriend

B3O1Y4F4R1I1E1N1D2

Today it means: A male partner in an unmarried romantic relationship. Full definition →

English friend ← Middle English frend ← Old English frēond
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰā-
  2. Proto-Germanic*bō-
  3. Proto-West Germanic*bōjō
  4. Old English*bōia
  5. Middle Englishboye
  6. Englishboy
  7. Proto-Indo-European*preyH-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*priHós
  9. Proto-Germanic*frijōną
  10. Proto-Germanic*frijōndz
  11. Proto-West Germanic*friund
  12. Old Englishfrēond
  13. Middle Englishfrend
  14. Englishfriend
  15. English todayboyfriend

From boy + friend.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.