The sun., 1900-12-07
St.boy Stay boy Hat hoy.

! To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-St' Your dis
cussion OF the origin OF the expression subboy" or
"stubboy" has interested me much as a vauabls
contribution to what We may term folk phology.
But Is Il not curious that not OF correspond
| ents has thought OF a possible connection htween
the expression in question and the familiar old lines
which are known TO every scbooboy:
out of night. stay boyl
| Keep whole skinl
In a night stay boy,
| Stay I'LL you win"
Surely. We cannot forget Caryls's chancts1i,ation
| OF the great Frederick: NO need OF Poionius.wiso
Injunction. Stay boy! to that inexorsblest OF souls
| or Kinglakes deft description OF MacMahons i'm
| mortal "J'y su,s. Jy Tes,e" as a Galo version OF
| the British bulldogs stay boy"
NEW YORK. Dec, s. NV. PLuMMRR
To THE EDITOR OF THR SUN--Sr. Your cor
| respondens who have furnished articles on this ex-
preston should consult Murray's new English Dic-
uonary under hist" an interection. No. g and the
word bay as a verb, No l. Further consult Littrs's
"Dictonnare de la Langue Frsncaise under the word
aooper and also under nboi
The English word bay signifies the deep voice
of large dog and especially OF . hound In
the chase. Aboyer has the same meaning
The older form Of the French word waa aoater
and ia supposed by IAtut 70 come from tho Latin
ad and bdubdrf. Reduplca'ion OF the Latin word
bnubarI suggesA the English bow-wow which mean.
nearly the same thing. Murray says that hist 10
more exactly written as st Its the common interjec-
ton which means silence requests q listening at
tention. like the word 'hark" This. by the way. 10
the roo, mea ming OF the word "hullo" which 10 gtven
in Flick twoererbuch Indoger. Sprschenl under
Hlu which |. one OF the primitive root. common to all
%, the Indo- European languages and signnes orig
inally nearly the same as the word bark or stop
and listen me It Is the hrs' word in the old Edda
Iiista- boy. therefore. translated into civi words
addressed 10 human beings would mean pay a.
tenuon. begin your barking and may be para
nh rased az "on the chase" Think that the word
4. used by all Of the rural population OF New England
aud By the rural populations 81 the eastern counties Of
old England. The phrase In use out Of New England
and the communities settled BY New Englanderss sen-
orally seek him" sick Inn. The English word bay"
IT, therefore from the earlier form OF the French word
while the expression "hst-aboy seems To have eoms
from the coiloauia dialect used the hunting neld
bv the Norman noblemen who owned the English
parks and hunting grounds.
one other item OF interest In the matter. the ex-
,icipl. OF this verb aboye LOT oeavs signfyng tha,
he 10 In the presence OF the dogs and 10 being
''S NEW York. D.e 8.
To THH EDITOR OF THE suS-sf,. When ~
hog under discussion this OF hosopolis 10 en-
titled 70 be heard when you desire the hogs To come
10 you the call Ia "Su boy! boy" long drawn
out and In tender, even anectonate tone. when
'.,'boy' at boy" short and snappy. BucKEYI
CINCINNATI. Ohio. Dec. T.
To THE EDITOR oP THE suN--SH, have read
in the columns Of your paper several articles from
various correspondents on the word "Stetoy," s.I
hnd spelled In the Standard Dictionary with this
definition "tnterjection; . word Of command or IN.
oourngement TO dog in setting him after man or
animal" Now. II any Of YOU have been 10 the
country and have seen herd ot cows confined in
pasture where the feed was poor ana adjoining the
pasture ncld of corn hush aftermath, ard have
seen the cows become restless and crowd against
The fence OF gateway until an opening VAS made
INTO the neid OF corn OF aftermath and have then
seen the farmer conle out and heard him whistle or
caH 70 his dog. Here Shep. do you see where tho.e
cowsare Sieboy there Steboy' Siehoy'" YOU would
know that the COWS as well as the dog without The
AID oi Webster or STANDARD knew what Steboy"
meant for the dog started fur the reld and the cows
hurried through the corn. cropping 10 the rfhS and
ie as they went In their haste trying 10 set their
MI OF The luscious feed and Al the time keeping
out OF the way OF the dog who pursued them niphins
al thsii heels until he had driven them back intc The
wEsT FoRrlBr1 ~.