Where does “thunderstruck” come from?
Thunderstruck derives from English thunder and struck, with thunder descending from Middle English thunder, Old English þunor, and Proto-Germanic þunraz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)ten- meaning to resound.
thunderstruck (English): Astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to...
Definitions
- Astonished, amazed or so suddenly surprised as to...
Ancestry of “thunderstruck”, step by step
thunderstruck traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
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... |
via English struck
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | struck | simple past tense and past participle of strike |