A buoy is a floating evice that can have many different purposes, which determine whether the buoy is anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is nowadays most commonly pronounced /ˈbɔɪ/ (identical with boy, also as in buoyancy), although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation /ˈbwɔɪ/. The pronunciation /ˈbuːi/, while chiefly American, more closely resembles the modern French bouée IPA: [[Help:IPA|bu.e]].