Etymology Explorer › English

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

  1. Large, well-built, and muscular; Great, amazing,...

Ancestry of “burly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishburlA tree growth in which the grain has grown in a...
2Middle Englishburlea knot or flaw in cloth
3Old Frenchbourrilflocks or ends of threads which disfigure cloth
4Old Frenchbourre—
5Medieval Latinburraflock of wool, coarse hair; A small cow with a...
6Latinburrusred, reddish-brown
7Ancient Greekπυρρόςflame-coloured, yellowish-red; red-haired,...
8Ancient Greekπῦρa fire; lightning; a fever
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpéh₂wr̥bonfire; spelt

Words derived from “burly”

  • burliness
  • burlily
Every word from Proto-Indo-European péh₂wr̥ →