Where does “gunpowder” come from?
gunpowder (English) comes from English gun, from Middle English gunne, from Old Norse Gunnhildr, from Old Norse Gunnr, from Old Norse guðr, from Proto-Germanic gunþiz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰéntis, from Proto-Indo-European gʷʰen-.
gunpowder (English): An explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulfur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks
Definitions
- An explosive mixture of saltpetre (potassium nitrate), charcoal and sulfur; formerly used in gunnery but now mostly used in fireworks
Ancestry of “gunpowder”, step by step
gunpowder traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English gun
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | gun | A device for projecting a hard object very... |
| 2 | Middle English | gunne | A trebuchet or similar kind of pellet-firing... |
| 3 | Old Norse | Gunnhildr | — |
| 4 | Old Norse | Gunnr | battle, war |
| 5 | Old Norse | guðr | battle, war |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | gunþiz | battle |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰéntis | striking, killing |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷʰen- | to strike, slay, kill |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰon- | — |
via English powder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | powder | The fine particles which are the result of... |
| 2 | Middle English | poudre | powder; The results of the decomposition of one's... |
| 3 | Old French | poudre | powder; dust |
| 4 | Late Latin | pulvera | — |
| 5 | Latin | pulvis | dust, powder; an arena, place of contest |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | pel- | to cover, to wrap; skin, hide, cloth; to fold |