Where does “Thunderbird” come from?
Thunderbird is a compound of English thunder and English bird, which derives from Middle English brid, Old English bridd, and Proto-Germanic brūdiz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ten- meaning to resound.
Thunderbird (English): Alternative letter-case form of thunderbird; a...
Definitions
- Alternative letter-case form of thunderbird; a...
Ancestry of “Thunderbird”, step by step
Thunderbird traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English thunder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thunder | The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound... |
| 2 | Middle English | thunder | Alternative form of thonder |
| 3 | Old English | Þunor | the Anglo-Saxon god of thunder, equivalent to Old Norse Þórr and Old High German Donar |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þunr | thunder |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | Þunraz | Thor, god of thunder |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ten- | to thunder, rustle, rumble, drone, groan; to... |