English

foully

Foully comes from Middle English foully ‘Filthily’, from Old English fūllīċe ‘fully, perfectly, completely, abundantly’, and ultimately from full.

Old Englishc. 450–1150full
Old English, derivedc. 450–1150fūllīċe‘fully, perfectly, completely, abundantly’
Middle Englishc. 1150–1500foully‘Filthily’
Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

Old Englishc. 450–1150full
Old English, derivedc. 450–1150fūllīċe‘fully, perfectly, completely, abundantly’
Middle Englishc. 1150–1500foully‘Filthily’
Englishtodaysame form

Equivalent to foul + ly

Proto-Indo-European *puH- ‘foul, rotten’

Proto-Germanic *fūlaz ‘foul, rotten’

Proto-West Germanic *fūl ‘foul, dirty’

Old English fūl ‘foul, dirty, unclean, impure, vile, corrupt,…’

Middle English ffoul

English foul

Vietnamese Lý

English ly

Linked words

through Old English full

full, fulsome, 5 more

through Old English fūllīċe ‘fully, perfectly, completely, abundantly’

fully

Today it means

adv In a foul manner; revoltingly.

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

Etymograph / Old English full / foully

Shirt and support for this word