Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “buckthorn” come from?

buckthorn (English) comes from English thorn, from Middle English þorn, from Old English þorn, from Proto-West Germanic þorn, from Proto-Germanic þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European tr̥nós, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- — strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

buckthorn (English): Any of several, often thorny shrubs or small...

Definitions

  1. Any of several, often thorny shrubs or small...

Ancestry of “buckthorn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthornA sharp protective spine of a plant; Any shrub or...
2Middle EnglishþornAlternative form of thorn
3Old Englishþornthorn; thorny bush; the runic character ᚦ; the...
4Proto-West Germanicþorn—
5Proto-Germanicþurnuzthorn, briar
6Proto-Indo-Europeantr̥nóssharp, stiff
7Proto-Indo-European(s)ter-strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- →