the verb 'sully' entered english in the late 16th century, likely derived from the french word 'souiller', which means 'to soil or tarnish'. this french term, in turn, traces back to the vulgar latin 'suculare', a derivative of the latin 'suculus', meaning 'little pig', from 'sus' meaning 'pig'. the semantic connection is vivid: the original sense was linked to the filth associated with pigs, leading to the meaning 'to make dirty'. over time, the meaning expanded metaphorically from physical staining to the tarnishing of reputations or honor. the '-ed' suffix is the standard english inflection for forming the past tense and past participle.

the word 'sullied' is a past tense/past participle form derived from the verb 'sully'. 'Sully' is considered a simplex word in modern english; its root 'sully' cannot be meaningfully segmented into smaller, independent morphemes based on its current spelling.