Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “gunny” come from?

Gunny comes from English gunnery sergeant, which derives from Sanskrit गोणी meaning a sack or bag.

gunny (English): A coarse heavy fabric made of jute or hemp; A...

Definitions

  1. A coarse heavy fabric made of jute or hemp; A...

Ancestry of “gunny”, step by step

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