different between sulky vs sulk

English

Etymology

From sulk +? -y. The horse-drawn vehicle is so called as it obliges the rider to be alone.

Adjective

sulky (comparative sulkier, superlative sulkiest)

1. (often derogatory) silent and withdrawn after being upset
   • 1865, Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

     The first question of course was, how to get dry again: they had a consultation about this, and after a few minutes it seemed quite natural to Alice to find herself talking familiarly with them, as if she had known them all her life. Indeed, she had quite a long argument with the Lory, who at last turned sulky, and would only say, “I’m older than you, and must know better.” And this Alice would not allow, without knowing how old it was, and, as the Lory positively refused to tell its age, there was no more to be said.

   Synonyms: sullen, morose

Translations

Noun

sulky (plural sulkies)

1. A low two-wheeled cart, used in harness racing.
2. Any carriage seating only the driver.

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /s?lk/
• Rhymes: -?lk

Etymology 1

Back-formation from sulky, of uncertain origin. Probably from Middle English *sulke, *solke (attested in solcennesse (“idleness; laziness”), from Old English ?solcennys (“idleness; slothfulness; sluggishness; laziness”), from ?solcen (“sulky, languid”), from past participle of Old English ?seolcan (“be slow; be weak or slothful; languish”), from Proto-Germanic *selkan? (“to fall in drops; dribble; droop”), from Proto-Indo-European *sél?-o-nom, from *sel?- (“to let go, send”). Cognate with several Indo-Iranian words deriving from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sar??- (such as Sanskrit ????? (s?játi), ?????? (sarjati), ????? (sárjana), ??? (s?ká)), possibly Hittite ???????????????? (ša-al-ak-zi /šalkzi/, “knead, mix”), although the semantic connection is weak.

Verb

sulk (third-person singular simple present sulks, present participle sulking, simple past and past participle sulked)

1. (intransitive) to express ill humor or offence by remaining sullenly silent or withdrawn.

Usage notes

Not to be confused with skulk.

Synonyms

• mope

Related terms

• sulkily
• sulky

Translations

Noun

sulk (plural sulks)

1. A state of sulking.

   Leo has been in a sulk all morning.

2. A person who sulks

   Don't be such a sulk, Leo!

Translations

References

Etymology 2

Latin sulcus.

Noun

sulk (plural sulks)

1. A furrow.

References

• “sulk”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, ?ISBN
• “sulk” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "sulk" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.

Anagrams

• Lusk, lusk