Bulky
/ˈbʌl.ki/noun
Large and awkwardly heavy or hard to carry.
Did you know?Bulky is ultimately tied to a Germanic root meaning a rounded swelling or lump, the same ancient family that gave English words for bumps and swollen shapes.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*bul-
“to swell, bulge, or form a rounded protrusion”
Old Norse
ON
bulki
“a bulky load or cargo”
Middle English
ME
bulke
“a large mass or heap; something swollen or bulky”
16th Century
English
bulky
“large in size, mass, or volume; cumbersome”
Modern English
English
bulky
“large and awkwardly heavy or difficult to handle”