buoy

Where does the word "buoy" come from? It comes from Middle Dutch boeie, and was adopted directly into English (1300s).

Buoy’s story begins in Middle Dutch: boeie meant “a floating marker.” A float marking a location in water, possibly related to a word for a fetter or chain. It reached English by 1300s as buoy. Settled as the English word for a floating navigational marker. Today, buoy means a floating device anchored in water to mark a location or warn of danger.

1. Stage 1 · Middle Dutch · medieval boeie "a floating marker", a float marking a location in water, possibly related to a word for a fetter or chain.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1300s buoy "a floating marker in water", settled as the English word for a floating navigational marker.