Where does “burly” come from?
Burly comes from Middle English -y, Middle French -ie, Latin -ia, Latin -ivus, Latin -ia, Proto-Indo-European -kos, and Proto-Indo-European -kos.
burly (English): Large, well-built, and muscular; Great, amazing,...
Definitions
- Large, well-built, and muscular; Great, amazing,...
Ancestry of “burly”, step by step
burly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English burl
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | burl | A tree growth in which the grain has grown in a... |
| 2 | Middle English | burle | a knot or flaw in cloth |
| 3 | Old French | bourril | flocks or ends of threads which disfigure cloth |
| 4 | Old French | bourre | — |
| 5 | Medieval Latin | burra | flock of wool, coarse hair; A small cow with a... |
| 6 | Latin | burrus | red, reddish-brown |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | πυρρός | flame-coloured, yellowish-red; red-haired,... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | πῦρ | a fire; lightning; a fever |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | péh₂wr̥ | bonfire; spelt |