Where does “bolthole” come from?
bolthole (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.
bolthole (English): A hole in an animal's den, or through a wall or...
Definitions
- A hole in an animal's den, or through a wall or...
Ancestry of “bolthole”, step by step
bolthole 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 |
via English hole
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | hole | A hollow place or cavity; an excavation; a pit;... |
| 2 | Middle English | hole | healthy; safe; whole, complete, full |
| 3 | Old English | hol | a hole, a hollow; calumny; slander |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | hol | hollow; hole |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hulą | a hollow; depression; hole |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | hulaz | hollow |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ḱel- | to cover; to incline |