Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “bonfires” come from?

Bonfires derives from Middle English bonefire, a compound of bone and fire referring to a literal fire of burning bones.

bonfires (English): plural of bonfire

Definitions

  1. plural of bonfire

Ancestry of “bonfires”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishbonfireA fire in which bones are burned; A fire to burn...
2Middle Englishbonnefyre—
3Middle Englishbonbone
4Old Englishbānbone, tusk; the bone of a limb
5Arabicبانto separate, to become distinct, to sunder; to be...
6Ottoman Turkishبانban; keeper, tender, ward; ben tree, horseradish...
7Ottoman Turkishباڭ—
8Persianبنگhashish, narcotic made from "Cannabis sativa";...
9Middle Persian𐭡𐭭𐭢henbane
Every word from Middle Persian 𐭡𐭭𐭢 →