Etymograph

English

bony

Bony comes from Middle English bony.

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bony1
  2. Englishtodaybony1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English bony

Lineage

  1. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500bonyWiktionary, English bony
  2. EnglishtodaybonyWiktionary, English bony

Formed from bone + -y

Proto-Germanic *bainaz ‘straight’

Proto-Germanic *bainą ‘bone, leg’

Proto-West Germanic *bain ‘bone’

Old English bān ‘bone’

Middle English bon ‘bone’

English bone

Linked words

through Middle English bony

bunny, bunion

Today it means

adj Resembling, having the appearance or consistence of, or relating to bone; osseous.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “bony”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Middle English bony / bony

Shirt and support for this word