Where does “bully” come from?

bully (Dutch) comes from English bully, from Dutch boel, from Dutch boedel, from Middle Dutch boedel, from Old Dutch buothal.

bully (Dutch): bully way of resuming the game with a standoff between two opposing players who repeatedly hit each other's sticks, then try to gain possession of the ball

Definitions

  1. bully way of resuming the game with a standoff between two opposing players who repeatedly hit each other's sticks, then try to gain possession of the ball

Ancestry of “bully”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbullyA person who is intentionally, physically, or...
2Dutchboela lot, bunch; mess, disorderly heap; quarrel
3Dutchboedelestate
4Middle Dutchboedel—
5Old Dutchbuothal—
Every word from Old Dutch buothal →Every word from Middle Dutch boedel →Every word from Dutch boedel →