Where does “blackthorn” come from?
Blackthorn is a compound of black and thorn in English, with black deriving from Middle English black, Old English blæc, Old Norse bleikr, and Proto-Indo-European bʰleyǵ- meaning to shine or gleam.
blackthorn (English): A large shrub or small tree, "Prunus spinosa",...
Definitions
- A large shrub or small tree, "Prunus spinosa",...
Ancestry of “blackthorn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | thorn | A sharp protective spine of a plant; Any shrub or... |
| 2 | Middle English | þorn | Alternative form of thorn |
| 3 | Old English | þorn | thorn; thorny bush; the runic character ᚦ; the... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þorn | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þurnuz | thorn, briar |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tr̥nós | sharp, stiff |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ter- | strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to... |