Fustie

/ˈfʌs.ti/ adjective

Definition

A Scottish variant spelling of fusty, meaning musty, stale, or stuffy.

Etymology

Scottish English variant of fusty, from fust (a strong musty smell), derived from Middle English, possibly related to Old Norse fúss meaning eager or quick, but this etymology is uncertain and disputed among scholars.

Kelly Says

Scottish English preserves a lot of older English sounds and spellings that have vanished south of the border—fustie shows how regional dialects can keep archaic forms alive like linguistic fossils.

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