English
furuncle
Furuncle comes from Latin fūrunculus ‘a petty thief, pilferer’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to carry’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰṓr‘thief’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fōr‘thief’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūr‘a thief’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūrunculus‘a petty thief, pilferer’diminutive of fūr
- Englishtodayfuruncle
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰer-‘to carry’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*bʰṓr‘thief’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*fōr‘thief’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūr‘a thief’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEfūrunculus‘a petty thief, pilferer’diminutive of fūr
- Englishtodayfuruncle
The story
Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin fūrunculus (‘a petty thief, pilferer; a pointed burning sore, boil’), diminutive of fūr (‘a thief’).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- ‘to carry’
different, offer, bar, difference, birth, transfer, bear, prefer, reference, broad, bread, relative, suffer, translation, extraordinary, relation, relate, barrel, fortune, burden, differ, barn, referendum, bore, translate, baron, breeze, referee, bark, frustration, fertility, borne, berth, fertile, broom, phosphate, extravagant, barrow, embargo, fret, 155 more
through Proto-Italic *fōr ‘thief’
through Latin fūr ‘a thief’
Today it means
noun A boil or infected, inflamed, pus-filled sore.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- / furuncle