Where does “Bolt” come from?
Bolt comes from Middle English bulten, Old English bolt, Proto-Germanic bultaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots bʰew- and bʰeld-, ultimately referring to a thick rounded object or fastening pin.
Ancestry of “Bolt”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | bolt | — |
| 2 | Old English | bolt | bolt |
| 3 | Old English | -tūn | — |
| 4 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 7 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 8 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |