Where does “bullying” come from?
Bullying derives from English bully, which comes from Dutch boel, from Dutch boedel, from Old Dutch buothal, from Old English -ung, from Proto-Germanic -ungō.
bullying (English): An act of intimidating a person to do something,...
Definitions
- An act of intimidating a person to do something,...
Ancestry of “bullying”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bully | A person who is intentionally, physically, or... |
| 2 | Dutch | boel | a lot, bunch; mess, disorderly heap; quarrel |
| 3 | Dutch | boedel | estate |
| 4 | Middle Dutch | boedel | — |
| 5 | Old Dutch | buothal | — |
Words derived from “bullying”