Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “þorn” come from?

þorn (Middle English) comes from Old English þorn, from Proto-West Germanic þorn, from Proto-Germanic þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European tr̥nós, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- — strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

þorn (Middle English): Alternative form of thorn

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of thorn

Ancestry of “þorn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishþornthorn; thorny bush; the runic character ᚦ; the...
2Proto-West Germanicþorn—
3Proto-Germanicþurnuzthorn, briar
4Proto-Indo-Europeantr̥nóssharp, stiff
5Proto-Indo-European(s)ter-strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

Words derived from “þorn”

  • thorn
  • blackthorn
  • buckthorn
  • thornless
  • whitethorn
  • camelthorn
  • boxthorn
  • firethorn
  • thornlike
  • thornbill
  • thornveld
  • thornproof
  • thornbird
  • hookthorn
  • thornhead
  • thorntail
  • sandthorn
  • thornery
  • thornfish
  • Thorn
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- →