boil

Where does the word "boil" come from? It comes from Latin bullire, passing through Old French before entering English (1200s).

Boil’s story begins in Latin: bullire meant “to bubble.” From 'bulla', bubble. By medieval, the word had taken hold in Old French as boillir. The skin 'boil' is a different word, from Old English 'byle'. It reached English by 1200s as boil. 'boiling point' dates from the 1700s. Today, boil means to heat liquid until it bubbles.

1. Stage 1 · Latin · ancient bullire "to bubble", from 'bulla', bubble.
2. Stage 2 · Old French · medieval boillir "to boil", the skin 'boil' is a different word, from Old English 'byle'.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1200s boil "to bubble", 'boiling point' dates from the 1700s.