bloody

bloody · adjective, adverb¹

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*blōþagaz“bloody”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*blōdag
3. Old English · inherited fromblōdiġ
4. Middle English · inherited fromblody
5. English todaybloody

From Middle English blody, blodi, from Old English blōdiġ, blōdeġ (“bloody”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdag, from Proto-Germanic *blōþagaz (“bloody”), equivalent to blood + -y. Cognate with Saterland Frisian bläidich, blöidig, blouderch (“bloody”), West Frisian bloedich (“bloody”), Dutch bloedig (“bloody”), German Low German blödig (“bloody”), German blutig (“bloody”), Danish blodig (“bloody”), Swedish blodig (“bloody”), Faroese blóðigur (“bloody”), Icelandic blóðugur (“bloody”). See Wikipedia for thoughts on sense evolution.

bloody · verb²

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*blōþagōną“to make bloody”
2. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*blōdagōn“to make bloody”
3. Old English · inherited fromblōdgian
4. Middle English · inherited from*blodien
5. English todaybloody

From Middle English *blodien, *blodegen (attested as blodeke, bi-blodgi), from Old English blōdgian, blōdegian (“to bloody, make bloody”), from Proto-West Germanic *blōdagōn (“to make bloody”), from Proto-Germanic *blōþagōną (“to make bloody”). Cognate with Middle High German bluotigen (“to make bloody”), Swedish blodga (“to make bloody”), Icelandic blóðga (“to bloody”).

bloody · noun³

Clipping of bloody mary.