Where does “bull” come from?
Bull comes from Middle English bulle, from Latin bulla, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, a root expressing swelling or bulging.
bull (English): An adult male of domesticated cattle or oxen; A...
Definitions
- An adult male of domesticated cattle or oxen; A...
Ancestry of “bull”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bole | bull, steer, male cow; A heraldic bull; Taurus |
| 2 | Old English | bula | bull, steer |
| 3 | Old Norse | boli | bull |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | bulô | bull |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰl̥no- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
Words derived from “bull”