Where does “foule” come from?
foule (German) comes from German foulen, from German Foul, from English foul, from Middle English foulen, from Old English fūlian, from Proto-Germanic fūlāną, from Proto-Germanic -āną, from Proto-Germanic -ajaną — he, she.
foule (German): inflection of foulen: ## first-person singular...
Definitions
- inflection of foulen: ## first-person singular...
Ancestry of “foule”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | foulen | to foul |
| 2 | German | Foul | foul breach of the rules of a game, especially one involving inappropriate contact with an opposing player in order to gain an advantage |
| 3 | English | foul | Covered with, or containing unclean matter;... |
| 4 | Middle English | foulen | To dirty or foul; to make or become dirty |
| 5 | Old English | fūlian | to become foul; rot; decay |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | fūlāną | To become foul; rot; decay |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | -āną | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives, later... |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | -ajaną | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | -oyéti | Creates factitive verbs from adjectives |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | -yéti | Creates intransitive, often deponent,... |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | yé- | — |
| 12 | Chichewa | iye | he, she |