An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Bulle

by Friedrich Kluge

Bulle (1.), masculine, ‘bull’ Middle High German only, from the equivalent Low German bulle; compare Dutch bul, bol, English bull (in Anglo-Saxon only the derivative bulluca, ‘bullock,’ appears); akin to Old Icelandic bole, ‘bull’; Lithuanian bullus is not a cognate; root bel in bellen?. Bulle (2.), feminine, ‘bottle,’ first occurs at a late period in Modern High German, corrupted from buttel, French bouteille. Bulle (3.), feminine, ‘bull, papal edict,’ from Middle High German bulle, f, ‘seal, document, bull’ Anglo-Saxon bulle, English bull, Modern French bulle). From Latin bulla, literally ‘‘water bubble,’ then ‘boss, knob (on a door),’ finally ‘a ball attached as a seal to documents’; whence also Bill.