mouldy
UK[ˈməʊldi]US[ˈmoʊldi]
adj
Covered with or smelling of mould (a fungus that grows on old food or damp surfaces).
adj
Old-fashioned, boring, or no longer interesting.
Morpheme Breakdown
mould
y
mould
fungus
y
adjective suffix
Etymology
The word 'mouldy' is built upon the noun 'mould', which entered English from Old Norse, describing the furry fungal growth on decaying matter. This Norse term shares a deep Germanic root with words related to softness and decay. The adjectival suffix '-y' is a prolific native English element used to indicate possession of a quality. Thus, the literal construction 'full of mould' directly yields the primary modern sense. The figurative meaning of being stale, old-fashioned, or boring is a natural semantic extension, comparing something outdated to the unpleasant decay suggested by physical mould.
Analysis
Structure: mould (fungus) + y (adjective suffix)
- mould: From Middle English 'mowlde', related to Old Norse 'mygla' (mould, mildew). Its ultimate origin is a Germanic base meaning 'to be soft or crumbly', referring to decay.
- y: A native English suffix (from Old English '-ig', Germanic '-īgaz') used to form adjectives meaning 'characterized by; full of'.
Examples
We had to throw away the mouldy bread.
The books in the damp basement had become mouldy and unusable.
His jokes are so old and mouldy that nobody laughs anymore.