Where does “swill-belly” come from?
swill-belly (English) comes from English belly, from Middle English bely, from Old English bielġ, from Proto-West Germanic *balgi, from Proto-Germanic balgiz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.
swill-belly (English): A drunkard
Definitions
- A drunkard
Ancestry of “swill-belly”, step by step
swill-belly traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English belly
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | belly | The abdomen, especially a fat one; The stomach;... |
| 2 | Middle English | bely | belly |
| 3 | Old English | bielġ | bag |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *balgi | leather bag |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | balgiz | bag |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵʰ- | to swell |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |
via English swill
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | swill | A mixture of solid and liquid food scraps fed to... |
| 2 | Middle English | swilen | to wash; swirl; wash away |
| 3 | Old English | swillan | to gargle |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *swilljan | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | swiljaną | to gulp, swallow |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | swel- | to smolder; burn; scorch; beam, board, frame,... |