Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “billowing” come from?

Billowing comes from Middle English bilȝe, from Old Norse bylgja, from Proto-Germanic bulgijō, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots meaning to swell or bulge.

billowing (English): present participle of billow; The act of...

Definitions

  1. present participle of billow; The act of...

Ancestry of “billowing”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbillowA large wave, swell, surge, or undulating mass of...
2Middle Englishbilwe—
3Old Norsebylgjawave, billow
4Proto-Germanicbulgijōwave, billow
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵʰ-to swell
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “billowing”

  • billowingly
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →