• bulge •
Pronunciation: bêlj • Hear it!
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: 1. An outward curve or swelling. 2. An increase, an unexpected short-lived expansion, as 'the bulge in population caused by the Baby Boom'. 3. (Obsolete) A bilge, as 'the bulge of a barrel or wooden ship'.
Notes: Today's is a word that was once a pronunciation variant for bilge "the bottom of a ship's hull", as in the phrase 'bilge water', something that had to be pumped out with a bilge pump. This noun went two ways for its adjective, bulgy and bulging. Both come equipped with an adverb and quality noun: bulgily and bulginess, and bulgingly and bulgingness.
In Play: Perhaps the most famous bulge was the bloody Battle of the Bulge, when Germans broke through American lines. It took the Americans five weeks to recoup with superior air support. Other bulges are more familiar: "That bulge in my lower torso was once my chest."
Word History: Today's Good Word was once Old French bolge, bouge "pouch, purse", today bouge "hut, hovel". (The diminutive of this French word was bougette, which English also helped itself to, converting it into budget). French inherited its word from Latin bulga "leather knapsack, bag", which Latin made out of PIE bhelgh- "to swell", a suffixed form of bhel- "to blow (up), puff (up), swell", which went on to become also Latin follis "bellows", Greek phallos, Dutch bil "buttock", English bowl, bolster, bellows, belly and ball, German Ball "ball", Irish bolg, bolc "belly" and bolgaim "I bulge", Russian bolezn' "illness" (often accompanied by swelling), and Slovene blazina "pillow, cushion". (Now a gracious bow to thank Dan Obertance for recommending we consider today's fascinating Good Word.)
