Where does “sledgehammer” come from?
I need to address a problem with the chain provided: it shows only English at every step, which cannot represent an etymology. A true etymology traces a word back through earlier languages to its ultimate origin.
However, based on the instruction to "State only what the chain supports. Do not invent dates, cognates, or intermediate steps," I can only work with what's given. The chain shows "sledge" and "hammer" as English forms, suggesting the compound formed in English.
**Sledgehammer is a compound of the English words sledge and hammer, combining a heavy striking tool with its implement of impact.**
(Note: A proper etymology would require the actual historical chain showing sledge's origin in Middle English/Old Norse, but that information isn't provided in your chain.)
sledgehammer (English): A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad...
Definitions
- A hammer that consists of a large, heavy, broad...
Ancestry of “sledgehammer”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | Hammer | someone connected with West Ham Football Club, as... |
| 2 | Middle English | hamer | A hammer; A fierce individual; one with strong... |
| 3 | Old English | hamor | hammer |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *hamar | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hamaraz | hammer |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱmoros | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂éḱmō | stone |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂eḱ- | sharp |