Where does “driftbolt” come from?

driftbolt (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.

driftbolt (English): A bolt for driving out other bolts

Definitions

  1. A bolt for driving out other bolts

Ancestry of “driftbolt”, step by step

driftbolt traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English Bolt

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishBoltnamed after an early postmaster
2Middle Englishbolt
3Old Englishboltbolt
4Old English-tūnhomestead, village, town
5Old Englishtūnenclosure, yard; place; dwelling
6Proto-West Germanictūnfence
7Proto-Germanictūnąfence; enclosure
8Gaulishdunumfort; hill, hillfort
9Proto-Celticdūnomstronghold, rampart
10Proto-Indo-Europeandʰewh₂-smoke; mist, haze

via English drift

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishdriftMovement; that which moves or is moved; The act...
2Middle Englishdrift
3Old Englishdriftan act of driving (cattle, herds, etc.); movement
4Proto-Germanicdriftizdriving
5Proto-Indo-Europeandʰreybʰ-to drive, push
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰer-to support; to hold
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dʰewh₂-
driftbolt — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer