How did the word "bully" come to be?

Question

What is the history of the word "bully"?

Answer 1

It comes from the Middle Dutch word "boele" meaning, believe it or not, "lover.

Its meaning has changed since it first appeared in English in 1538. Then it meant: Sweetheart, darling, Originally used of either sex but later men only. It was often a form of title as "Bully Bottom" in A Midsummer Night's Dream and the later "bully boy".

A hundred years later it meant a blustering gallant, a swashbuckler, a person who made himself a terror of the weak and defenceless. In the 18th century it took on the meanings of a hired ruffian and a pimp.

Answer 2

Society and individuals make a word 'bad' by way of their response to it. If a small child stands in front of you and says 'bit@hbit#hbit@h" and you don't respond, the child, failing to get a response from you, will most likely not do it again. If instead you flip out, 'no no this is a bad word etc." you have given the WORD power, and the child comes to understand s/he can wield power through use of that word. If a word 'wants to be good'? Well, words have no power on their own and they certainly have no will!- the only power a word can have is power we give to it. Therefore you can minimize it's impact by maintaining no response to it. It would take generations, though, to do that on a large scale.

Answer 3

i don't know
- i'm answering so i can look in a few days for the answer
- i want to know!