Is 'bully' English, or is it actually Dutch?

'Bully' is a word borrowed from Dutch 'boele'. The word entered the English language some time around 1538.

bully [noun] [1538]

• sweetheart
• a fine chap
• a blustering browbeating person
• one habitually cruel to others who are weaker

See 'bully' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Dutch.

note: Original use was as a term of endearment applied to either sex. Later became a familiar form of address to a male friend. The current sense dates from the late 17th century.
Etymology: Probably from Middle Dutch 'boele' lover; akin to Middle Low German 'bōle' lover, Middle High German 'buole'

See more loan words from 1500s.