Where does “bullet” come from?
Bullet comes from Middle French -el, from Latin bulla meaning a rounded object or bubble, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.
bullet (English): A projectile, usually of metal, shot from a gun...
Definitions
- A projectile, usually of metal, shot from a gun...
Ancestry of “bullet”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -et | Used to form diminutives, loosely construed |
| 2 | Middle English | -et | Forms diminutive nouns from nouns; in some words,... |
| 3 | Old French | -et | Used to form a diminutive, masculine noun;... |
| 4 | Latin | -ātus | ed |
| 5 | Proto-Italic | -ātos | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -éh₂tos | Forms adjectives from nouns, indicating the possession of a thing or a quality |