English word origin

Etymology of cully

Uncertain. Short for cullion? Compare Irish cuallaí (“companion”)

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 1/2

Original entry ↗

verb

To trick, to impose on, to dupe.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain. Short for cullion? Compare Irish cuallaí (“companion”)

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "cullion",
      "cullion#English"
    ],
    [
      "cuallaí",
      "cuallaí#Irish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Sranan Tongo",
      "lang_code": "srn",
      "word": "kori"
    }
  ],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To trick, to impose on, to dupe."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "7f8195bbb2e7ae56159353ac3d71a3970fc24ab758930d4fadccbd660907abd3",
      "rawRecordSha256": "ddb4434c04b22f3c8f43ebb65e02fc652ae16d5bd556bf5f9c3967a6f9d2165c",
      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 2690668
    }
  ],
  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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}

Unnumbered source etymology · variant 2/2

Original entry ↗

noun

A person who is easily tricked or imposed on; a dupe, a gullible person. · A companion. · A male client of a prostitute; a john, a gonk.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Uncertain. Short for cullion? Compare Irish cuallaí (“companion”)

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "unc",
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "cullion",
      "cullion#English"
    ],
    [
      "cuallaí",
      "cuallaí#Irish"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A person who is easily tricked or imposed on; a dupe, a gullible person.",
        "A companion.",
        "A male client of a prostitute; a john, a gonk."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic",
        "slang",
        "historical"
      ],
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for cully →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-Y3VsbHk