sully
English
/ˈsʌli/
verb
Definitions
- (transitive) To soil or stain; to dirty.
- (transitive) To corrupt or damage.
- (intransitive ) To become soiled or tarnished.
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English sulen inherited from Old English sylian (sully, soil, pollute) inherited from Proto-Germanic *suliwōną derived from Proto-Indo-European *sūl- (thick liquid, muck).
Origin
Proto-Indo-European
*sūl-
Gloss
thick liquid, muck
Timeline
Distribution of cognates by language
Geogrpahic distribution of cognates
Cognates and derived terms
- besully English
- sulliable English
- unsulliable English
- unsully English
- souiller French
- souillure French
- *sūl- Proto-Indo-European
- *suliwōną Proto-Germanic
- *sulwōną Proto-Germanic
- *sulą Proto-Germanic
- *sulōną Proto-Germanic
- solian Old English
- sylian Old English
- bisulien Middle English
- sulen Middle English
- souiller Middle French