Etymograph

English

bullet

Bullet comes from Old French bullete.

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400bullete
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bullet‘an official tag or badge of registration or identification’
  3. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Old Frenchc. 842–1400bullete
  2. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bullet‘an official tag or badge of registration or identification’
  3. Englishearliest quotation c. 1587–1588same form

Earliest quotation: c. 1587–1588, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […]: “Then when our powers in points of ſwords are…”

The story

Later influenced by Middle French boulette and French boulet.

Every English word from Old French bullete

Today it means

noun A projectile, usually of metal, shot from a gun at high speed.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Old French bullete / bullet

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