Where does “foul” come from?
Foul comes from Middle English foulen, from Old French fol, from Latin follis meaning a bellows or bag, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel- meaning to swell.
foul (English): Covered with, or containing unclean matter;...
Definitions
- Covered with, or containing unclean matter;...
Ancestry of “foul”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | foulen | To dirty or foul; to make or become dirty |
| 2 | Old English | fūlian | to become foul; rot; decay |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | fūlāną | To become foul; rot; decay |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | -āną | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives, later... |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | -ajaną | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 9 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |