Where does “sulky” come from?
Sulky comes from English sulk, derived from Latin sulcus meaning furrow or groove, through Middle French -ie and Latin suffixes -ia, -ivus, and -kos from Proto-Indo-European roots.
sulky (English): silent and withdrawn after being upset; A low...
Definitions
- silent and withdrawn after being upset; A low...
Ancestry of “sulky”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | sulk | A state of sulking; to express ill humor or... |
| 2 | Middle English | sulke | — |
| 3 | Old English | āsolcennys | idleness; slothfulness; sluggishness; laziness |
| 4 | Old English | āsolcen | sulky, languid |
| 5 | Old English | āseolcan | be slow; be weak or slothful; languish |
| 6 | Old English | ā- | a-; away, out |
| 7 | Old English | ar- | — |
| 8 | Proto-West Germanic | uʀ- | out, over; off, away |
| 9 | Proto-Germanic | uz- | up, out |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | uss- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | uds- | up, out |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | úd | out, outward |