Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “fulminate” come from?

Fulminate comes from Latin fulminatus, past participle of fulmino, derived from fulmen meaning lightning, which traces through Latin fulgmen and fulgeo to Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, bʰleh₃-, and bʰel-.

fulminate (English): To make a verbal attack; To issue as a...

Definitions

  1. To make a verbal attack; To issue as a...

Ancestry of “fulminate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latinfulminatusabout to be struck with lightning; bearing...
2LatinfulminoI lighten; I fulminate
3Latinfulmenlightning; thunderbolt
4Latinfulgmen—
5LatinfulgeoI flash, lighten, glitter, gleam, glare, glisten,...
6Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “fulminate”

  • fulminating
  • fulminator
  • infulminate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →