Where does “gunmetal” come from?

gunmetal (English) comes from English metal, from French métal, from German metall, from Italian metallo, from Spanish metal, from Old Spanish metal, from Old French métal, from Latin metallum — to mine, quarry.

gunmetal (English): A type of bronze used for making cannons; An...

Definitions

  1. A type of bronze used for making cannons; An...

Ancestry of “gunmetal”, step by step

gunmetal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English metal

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishmetal"Chemical elements or alloys, and the mines where...
2Frenchmétalmetal
3Germanmetallmetal
4Italianmetallometal
5Spanishmetalmetal
6Old Spanishmetalmetal
7Old Frenchmétalmetal material
8Latinmetallummetal; precious metals, especially gold or...
9Ancient GreekμέταλλονA mine, quarry, or salt pit; metal
10Ancient Greekμέταλλευεινto mine, quarry

via English gun

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishgunA device for projecting a hard object very...
2Middle EnglishgunneA trebuchet or similar kind of pellet-firing...
3Old NorseGunnhildr
4Old NorseGunnrbattle, war
5Old Norseguðrbattle, war
6Proto-Germanicgunþizbattle
7Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰéntisstriking, killing
8Proto-Indo-Europeangʷʰen-to strike, slay, kill
9Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰon-
Every word from Ancient Greek μέταλλευεινEvery word from Ancient Greek μέταλλονEvery word from Latin metallum