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
- Any of several, often thorny shrubs or small...
Ancestry of “buckthorn”, step by step
buckthorn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English thorn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thorn | A sharp protective spine of a plant; Any shrub or... |
| 2 | Middle English | þorn | Alternative form of thorn |
| 3 | Old English | þorn | thorn; thorny bush; the runic character ᚦ; the... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þorn | thorn, briar |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | þurnuz | thorn, briar |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tr̥nós | sharp, stiff |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ter- | strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to... |
via English buck
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | buck | A male deer, antelope, sheep, goat, rabbit, hare,... |
| 2 | Middle English | bukke | male goat; male deer or roe |
| 3 | Old English | būc | belly, stomach; belly, stomach, pitcher; belly,... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *būk | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | būkaz | belly, abdomen; body |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰōw- | to inflate, swell; to swell, grow, thrive, be,... |