Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “blot” come from?

blot (English) comes from Middle English blot, from Old Norse blautr, from Proto-Germanic blautaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰlāw-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel — shiny, white.

blot (English): A Norse ceremonial offering

Definitions

  1. A Norse ceremonial offering

Ancestry of “blot”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishblotblot, spot, stain, blemish
2Old Norseblautrwet; weak
3Proto-Germanicblautazsoft; exhausted; emptied out; spent; fainthearted
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰlāw-—
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelshiny, white
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰel →