Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “pursy” come from?

pursy (English) comes from Middle English pursyf, from Anglo-Norman porsif, from French poussif, from French pousser, from Latin pulsare, from Latin pulso, from Latin pulsus, from Latin pellō — to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold.

pursy (English): Out of breath; short of breath, especially due to...

Definitions

  1. Out of breath; short of breath, especially due to...

Ancestry of “pursy”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishpursyf—
2Anglo-Normanporsif—
3Frenchpoussifwheezy
4Frenchpousserto push; to urge on, encourage; to grow
5Latinpulsarepresent active infinitive of pulsō; second-person...
6LatinpulsoI push, strike, beat, batter, hammer; knock on;...
7Latinpulsuspulse, impulse, beat, stroke; expelled, kicked...
8Latinpellō—
9Proto-Italicpelnōapproach, go to; bring close
10Proto-Indo-Europeanpelh₂-to approach
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpel-to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold

Words derived from “pursy”

  • pursiness
  • pursily
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pel- →