Where does “boltface” come from?
boltface (English) comes from English Bolt, from Middle English bolt, from Old English bolt, from Old English -tūn, from Old English tūn, from Proto-West Germanic tūn, from Proto-Germanic tūną, from Gaulish dunum — smoke; mist, haze.
boltface (English): The front surface of a bolt in a firearm or back of the firing chamber, against which the cartridge rests
Definitions
- The front surface of a bolt in a firearm or back of the firing chamber, against which the cartridge rests
Ancestry of “boltface”, step by step
boltface traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Bolt
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Bolt | named after an early postmaster |
| 2 | Middle English | bolt | — |
| 3 | Old English | bolt | bolt |
| 4 | Old English | -tūn | homestead, village, town |
| 5 | Old English | tūn | enclosure, yard; place; dwelling |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | tūn | fence |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | tūną | fence; enclosure |
| 8 | Gaulish | dunum | fort; hill, hillfort |
| 9 | Proto-Celtic | dūnom | stronghold, rampart |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dʰewh₂- | smoke; mist, haze |