Bull

See also: bull and Bull.

English

Proper noun

the Bull

(astronomy, astrology) The constellation and zodiacal sign Taurus.
- 1668, ‘Godfridus’, The Knowledge of Things Unknown, London: G.P. for G. Sawbridge, page 19:
  The Bull reigneth in the neck, & in the throat.
- 1862, [Frances Rolleston], Mazzaroth, or, The Constellations, London: Rivingtons, page 15:
  Those stars said to belong to the Ram might as well be supposed to belong to the Bull or the Lion.
- 1893, E. W. Bullinger, Witness of the Stars, London: The author, page 16:
  The Ram, the Bull, the heavenly Twins,
  And next the Crab, the Lion shines,
  The Virgin and the Scales;
  The Scorpion, Archer, and Sea-Goat,
  The Man that carries the Water-pot,
  And Fish with glittering scales.
- 1899, Richard Hinckley Allen, Star-Names and their Meaning, New York: G.E. Stechert, page 380:
  An early Grecian gem shows three nude figures, hand in hand, standing on the head of the Bull, one pointing to seven stars in line over the back, which Landseer referred to the Hyades.
- 1903, Emmeline M. Plunket, Ancient Calendars and Constellations, London: John Murray, page 79:
  In the Assyrian Standard [...] we see the figure of an Archer above that of a galloping Bull, and in another Assyrian Standard, that of Sargon II., we find not only the Archer and the Bull, the two constellations which 4,000 b.c. marked the equinoctial colure, but we may also clearly trace a reference to the two constellations which at the same date marked the solstitial colure, namely, those of the Lion and the Water-man.
- 1947 November 14, Mountain District Free Press and Frentree Gully News, Tecoma, Vic., page 8, column 2:
  Now, if you went down into the forest where the spring gum-tips gleam gold and ruby in whatever sunshine, Heaven thinks fit to apportion at this season to residents of the Dandenongs (who surely were all born Aquarians) what sign of the Zodiac would you expect to meet? [...] Not Taurus the Bull, who is paddocked, or Cancer the Crab, who lives underground in these regions.
- 1971, Richard Carpenter, Catweazle and the Magic Zodiac, Harmondsworth: Puffin Books, page 35:
  ‘The second Sign!’ cried Catweazle. ‘’Tis Taurus the Bull!’
- 1998, John H. Roger, “Origins of the ancient constellations: I. The Mesopotamian traditions”, in Journal of the British Astronomy Association, volume 108, number 1, page 24, column 2:
  The Bull was the Bull of Heaven to the Sumerians. It marked the spring equinox and the start of the new year. It's head has always been the Hyades, including Aldebaran.

Proper noun

Bull

A surname transferred from the nickname derived from the name of the animal.

Derived terms

Bulls (place name)

Luxembourgish

Etymology

The sense “bottle” from Latin ampulla (cf. German Pulle), or from contraction of dated Buddel, from French bouteille, or from a merger of these.
The sense “ball” probably from French boule, from Latin bulla. However, the Luxemburger Wörterbuch seems to imply that it was originally used especially of glass balls, hence perhaps in part from loose use of the above.
In both senses, influence by the word Boll (“bowl”), from Proto-Germanic *bullǭ, is also possible.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bul/
Rhymes: -ul

Noun

Bull f (plural Bullen)

Pennsylvania German

Orthographic variants
German-based	Bull
English-based	bull

En **Bull** schteht gelangweilt vannich paar Felse.

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *bʰel-

Proto-Germanic *bulô

Old Dutch *bulloder.

Middle High German bulle

Rhine Franconian Bulle

Pennsylvania German Bull

Inherited from Rhine Franconian Bulle, from Middle High German bulle, thus cognate to German Bulle.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /bʊl/, [b̥ʊl]
Rhymes: -ʊl
Hyphenation: Bull

Noun

Bull m (plural Bulle)

bull (an adult male of domesticated cattle or oxen)
Coordinate terms: Kuh, Ox; Kalb, Kelwel

Paeppi, ferwas hoscht du noch en Bull kaaft? Mir ziege Gemies.
Dad, why did you buy another bull? We grow vegetables.
- 1910, Abraham Reasor Horne, Horne’s Pennsylvania German Manual, 3rd edition, Allentown: published by T. K. Horne, Pennsylvania German Literature, pages 47, 71, 150:
  Fĕrshrŭken’r mŏn un ’n bas’r bull. … D’r gros Bull. … ’N brinsl broun’r mooly bull / Mus in d’r sheiăr hof; / Alpăcă hinkĕl, bordsărt hunt / Un kochin shanghei shof.
  [Verschrockner Mann unn en beeser Bull. … Der grooss Bull. … En brinselbrauner muhli Bull / muss in der Scheierhof; / Alpakahinkel, Batzerthund / unn Kotschin-Schanghei-Schof.]
  Scared man and an angry bull. … The Big Bull. … A brindle brown mooly bull / must be in the barnyard; / alpaca chickens, bobtail dogs, / and cochin Shanghai sheep.
- 2005 July, Richard Druckenbrod, “Bull”, in Charles Richard Beam, Joshua R. Brown, editors, The Comprehensive Pennsylvania German Dictionary, volume 2, Millersville: Millersville University Center for Pennsylvania German Studies, →ISBN, page 185:
  Ich hab als der bescht Briehbull uff daere Seit vum Rewwer ghatt. Allemol as er en Kuh gebrieht hot, hot 's eenswedder Zwillinge odder sogaar Drillinge gewwe. Awwer ee Daag iss der Bull hattleiwich warre unn er hot sei Arewet nimmi schaffe kenne.
  I used to have the best breeding bull on this side of the river. Occasionally, after he had bred a cow, it produced twins or even triplets. But one day the bull became constipated and could no longer do his work.
(in the plural) testicles

Derived terms

Toponyms

Bulle Kopp m
Bulleschteddel n (Lucon, Montana)
Bulleschtrooss f

Nouns

Briehbull m (“breeding bull”)
Bullbaend f (“callithumpian band”)
Bullbalsem m (“bull mint”)
Bullbeint m (“bull pine”)
Bullblug m (“bull plow”)
Bullbux m (“rhododendron”)
Bulleballe pl (“bull testicles”)
Bullebambel n (“Cypripedioideae”)
Bullebeidel m (“Cypripedioideae”)
Bulledischdel f (“Cirsium vulgare”)
Bullefleesch m (“bull beef”)
Bullegatt f (“horsewhip made of dried bull's penis”)
Bullegraas n (“Phalaris arundinacea”)
Bullehammli n (“bull calf”, also Bullhammli, Bullhummli)
Bullehaut f (“bull's hide”)
Bullehawwer m (“Arrhenatherum elatius”, also Bullhawwer)
Bulleholz n (“bull wood”)
Bullekalb n (“bull calf”)
Bullekaschebaam m (“bull cherry tree”)
Bullekett f (“bull chain”)
Bullerrum (cry of a grown frog)
Bulleryockel n (“Ambrosia trifida”)
Bulleschmeisser m (“bull thrower”)
Bulleschrott f (“buckshot”)
Bulleschtall m (“bull stall”, also Bullschtall)
Bulleschtrick m (“heavy rope”)
Bulleschwanz m (“bull's tail”)
Bulleseckelwoog f (a type of scale)
Bullevendu f (“bull auction”)
Bullezung f (“beef tongue”)
Bullfraagschwam m (“bullfrog swamp”)
Bullfrack m (“bullfrog”, also Bullfraag)
Bullfrackeschenkel m (“bullfrog's legs”)
Bullgrott m or f (“bullfrog”)
Bullhatzkasch f (“oxheart cherries”)
Bullhund m (“bulldog”)
Bullirum m (“frog”)
Bullkaerschebaam m (“bull cherry tree”)
Bullkasch f (“oxheart cherries”)
Bullkopp m (“obstinant person”)
Bullniss f (“Carya laciniosa”)
Bullraad n (“machinery wheel driver”)
Bullrosch m (“bull rush”)
Bullwerfass n (“powder keg”)

Verbs

bulle (“to long for a bull”)

Adjectives

bullich (“in heat”)
bullkeppich (“obstinate”)

Proverbs

der alt Bull blarrt alsnoch (“the old scandal won't die”, (literally, “the old bull keeps on bellowing”))
der alt Bull blarrt fatt in die Ewichkeit (“the old scandal won't die”, (literally, “the old bull bellows on forever”))
die Kuh as es aergscht blarrt, geht es erscht zum Bull (“the loudest person gets the most attention”, (literally, “the cow who bellows the loudest goes into heat first”))
en Bull uff emme Hoischtock (“a clumbsy person in a delecate place”, (literally, “a bull on a haystack”))
graadzu wie dem Haermann sei Bull — vum Owwerdenn in der Kiehschtall (“a completely unstoppable person; event”, (literally, “straight ahead, like Hermann's bull — from the loft to the cow stall”))
huddliche Bulle mache ken gude Kelwer (“irresposible parrents do not raise good children”, (literally, “careless bulls do not make good calves”))
mer dutt was mer kann; mehner kann en Bull aa net (“don't overexert someone”, (literally, “one does what one can; a bull can't do more either”))
so schtarick as en Bull (“as strong as a bull”)
„es iss yuscht wer will“, hot der Peder gsaat, wie er zum Bull kumme iss unn er hot der Kopp gschiddelt (“a strong person will do what they want”, (literally, “"just as you please," said Peter to the bull as it shook its head”))

Onomotapoeia

bullirum (croak)

References

Marcus Bachman Lambert (2016), “Bull”, in Pennsylvania Dutch Dictionary (in Pennsylvania German), PDEC
Charles Richard Beam, Joshua R. Brown, editors (July 2005), “Bull”, in The Comprehensive Pennsylvania German Dictionary, volume 2, Millersville: Millersville University Center for Pennsylvania German Studies, →ISBN, page 185
J. C. Lins (1895), “Bull”, in Common Sense Pennsylvania German Dictionary, 3rd edition, Reading, Pennsylvania, United States: published by James C. Lins, page 25
Abraham Reasor Horne (1910), Horne’s Pennsylvania German Manual, 3rd edition, Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States: published by T. K. Horne, Pennsylvania German Literature, page 24
Marcus Bachman Lambert (1924), “Bull”, in A Dictionary of the Non-English Words of the Pennsylvania-German Dialect‎^[1], Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States: Lancaster Press inc.
Edwin Miller Fogel (1995) [1929], Proverbs of the Pennsylvania Germans‎^[2], 2nd edition, Millersville, Pennsylvania, United States: Americana Germanica Press, →ISBN, page 12
D. Miller (2013), Pennsylvania German Dictionary‎^[3], Deitsch Books, page 26