bullace

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*bʰeHw-“to swell, puff”
2. Proto-Celtic · derived from*bullākā
3. Celtiberian · derived from*bullācā
4. Late Latin · derived frombulluca“kind of small fruit”
5. Vulgar Latin · derived from*bullucea
6. Old French · derived frombeloce
7. Middle English · inherited frombolas
8. English todaybullace

From Middle English bolas, bolace, from Anglo-Norman and Old French beloce, buloce (“sloe”), from Vulgar Latin *bullucea, from Late Latin bulluca (“kind of small fruit”); of Celtic/Gaulish origin, akin to Celtiberian *bullācā, from Proto-Celtic *bullākā, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeHw- (“to swell, puff”), itself imitative. Possibly influenced by Latin galla (“oak apple”) with metathesis of the consonants. See also Spanish bugalla (“oak apple”), Portuguese bugalho, and (the distantly related) Latin bucca.