Origins
The late 19th century was a time when many African-Americans were migrating to cities in larger numbers, and the word "homeboy" meant a male friend from back home. It was eventually shortened to "homie". The word is also a contraction of Mexican slang words "homeboy" or "homebuddies" which became prevalent among some of the youth in Latino and chicano communities in the United States, starting in the late 1960s and continuing up to the present. Since the 1980s, the word has been particularly prevalent in hip hop subculture. The word "homie" was also commonly associated with gangs, gang symbols, and rebellious youth.
Some etymologists have questioned whether the term "home boy" may have had its origins in the Spanish word "hombre" which means "man".
Other sources state that "homeboy" originated during the Viet Nam War era in the military, and referenced two soldiers being from the same hometown. Once it was discovered that two soldiers were from the same hometown, they would refer to each other as Homeboy, which was later shortened to Homie or Home.
Read more about this topic: Homie
Famous quotes containing the word origins:
“The settlement of America had its origins in the unsettlement of Europe. America came into existence when the European was already so distant from the ancient ideas and ways of his birthplace that the whole span of the Atlantic did not widen the gulf.”
—Lewis Mumford (1895–1990)
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Where the hinges let it move, were living things,
Barnacles, mussels, water weeds—and one
Blue bit of polished glass, glued there by time:
The origins of art.”
—Howard Moss (b. 1922)
“Lucretius
Sings his great theory of natural origins and of wise conduct; Plato
smiling carves dreams, bright cells
Of incorruptible wax to hive the Greek honey.”
—Robinson Jeffers (1887–1962)