Where does “thunderclap” come from?
Thunderclap combines English thunder with Middle English clappen, from Old English clæppan and Proto-Germanic klappōną meaning to clap, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ten- meaning to resound.
thunderclap (English): A sudden, loud thunder caused by a nearby...
Definitions
- A sudden, loud thunder caused by a nearby...
Ancestry of “thunderclap”, step by step
thunderclap traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English clap
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | clap | The act of striking the palms of the hands, or... |
| 2 | Old French | clapoir | bubo, inflammation from infection |
| 3 | Old French | clapier | brothel |
| 4 | Old Occitan | clapier | rabbit hutch |
| 5 | Old Occitan | clap | heap of stones |
| 6 | Medieval Latin | claperius | — |
via English thunder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | thunder | The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound... |
| 2 | Middle English | thunder | Alternative form of thonder |
| 3 | Old English | Þunor | the Anglo-Saxon god of thunder, equivalent to Old Norse Þórr and Old High German Donar |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þunr | thunder |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | Þunraz | Thor, god of thunder |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ten- | to thunder, rustle, rumble, drone, groan; to... |