Where does “suylen” come from?
suylen (Middle English) comes from Old French soillier, from Frankish *sulwijan, from Proto-Germanic sulwijaną, from Proto-Indo-European sūl- — thick liquid, muck.
suylen (Middle English): to sully, make dirty
Ancestry of “suylen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | soillier | Alternative form of souillier; to soil |
| 2 | Frankish | *sulwijan | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | sulwijaną | to make dirty; to sully |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | sūl- | thick liquid, muck |