Where does “bolster” come from?
Bolster comes from Middle English bolstre, from Old English bolster, from Proto-Germanic bulstraz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-.
bolster (English): A large cushion or pillow; A pad, quilt, or...
Definitions
- A large cushion or pillow; A pad, quilt, or...
Ancestry of “bolster”, step by step
bolster traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German polster
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | polster | pad, padding |
| 2 | Middle High German | polster | — |
| 3 | Old High German | polstar | — |
| 4 | Old Norse | bólstr | bolster, pillow |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bulstraz | bolster, pillow, cushion |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰelǵʰ- | to swell |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰel- | to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōl- | — |