Where does “sully” come from?
Sully comes from Middle English sulen, Old English sylian, Proto-Germanic suliwōną, and Proto-Indo-European sūl-, with the original sense now obscured.
sully (English): To soil or stain; to dirty; To corrupt or damage;...
Definitions
- To soil or stain; to dirty; To corrupt or damage;...
Ancestry of “sully”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | sulen | — |
| 2 | Old English | sylian | to soil, pollute; to sully; to soil, make dirty;... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | suliwōną | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sūl- | thick liquid, muck |
Words derived from “sully”