English
bulge
Bulge comes from Old Northern French boulge ‘leather bag’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- ‘to swell’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰelǵʰ-‘to swell’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰólǵʰ-o-sreconstructed
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*bolgos‘sack, bag, stomach’reconstructed
- Gaulishc. 500 BCE–500 CEbolgā
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbulga‘leather sack’
- Old Northern Frenchc. 842–1400boulge‘leather bag’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bulge‘leather bag’
- Englishearliest quotation 1739same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰelǵʰ-‘to swell’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰólǵʰ-o-sreconstructed
- Proto-Celticc. 1300–800 BCE*bolgos‘sack, bag, stomach’reconstructed
- Gaulishc. 500 BCE–500 CEbolgā
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbulga‘leather sack’
- Old Northern Frenchc. 842–1400boulge‘leather bag’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bulge‘leather bag’
- Englishearliest quotation 1739same form
Earliest quotation: 1739, William Broome, The Battle of the Gods and Titans: “Fatal to Man! at once all Ocean roars, And…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- ‘to swell’
fool, belly, bloc, folly, bolster, bellows, follies, follicle, budge, billow, 14 more
through Latin bulga ‘leather sack’
Today it means
noun An object which is sticking out from a surface; a swelling, protuberant part; a bending outward, especially when caused by pressure.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰelǵʰ- / bulge