Hobson-Jobson: A Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, and of Kindred Terms, Etymological, Historical, Geographical and Discursive c6.46

c6.46

An example of this is *boy*, in its application to a native servant. To this application have contributed both the old English use of *boy* (analogous to that of *puer*, *garçon*, *Knabe*) for a camp-servant, or for a slave, and the Hindī-Marāṭhī *bhoi*, the name of a caste which has furnished palanquin and umbrella-bearers to many generations of Europeans in India. The habitual use of the word by the Portuguese, for many years before any English influence had touched the shores of India (*e.g. bōy de sombrero*, *bōy d'aguoa*, *bōy de palanquy*), shows that the earliest source was the Indian one.