bunch

the origin of 'bunch' is somewhat obscure, though it is believed to have entered middle english from an old french word 'bonge' meaning a swelling or a hump, or perhaps from a flemish word 'bonk' meaning a lump or a cluster. this core idea of a swelling or a lump evolved semantically to denote a collection of items gathered into a rounded mass, such as a bunch of grapes or keys. by the late 16th century, its meaning extended to any cluster or group of similar things, and later, informally, to a group of people. the verb form, meaning to form into a bunch, followed naturally from the noun.

the word 'bunch' is a simplex word of uncertain origin, likely from a middle english dialect term. it does not contain separable, meaningful morphemes in modern english.