Where does “smoothbore” come from?
smoothbore (English) comes from English bore, from Middle English bore, from Middle English boren, from Old English boren, from Old English beran, from Proto-West Germanic beran, from Proto-Germanic beraną, from Proto-Indo-European bʰéreti — shiny, light brown.
smoothbore (English): having a bore with a smooth interior, ie. one...
Definitions
- having a bore with a smooth interior, ie. one...
Ancestry of “smoothbore”, step by step
smoothbore traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English bore
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | bore | To inspire boredom in somebody; To make a hole... |
| 2 | Middle English | bore | A bore, hole, puncture or indentation |
| 3 | Middle English | boren | — |
| 4 | Old English | boren | past participle of beran; born |
| 5 | Old English | beran | to carry, bear; to wear; to sustain, support |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | beran | to carry, to bear |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | beraną | to carry, to bear |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰéreti | to be carrying |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰēr- | shiny, light brown |