Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “bolster” come from?

bolster (Old English) comes from Old Norse bólstr, from Proto-Germanic bulstraz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰelǵʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰel-, from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl-.

bolster (Old English): pillow

Definitions

  1. pillow

Ancestry of “bolster”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norsebólstrbolster, pillow
2Proto-Germanicbulstrazbolster, pillow, cushion
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰelǵʰ-to swell
4Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰel-to sound; to speak, roar, bark; shiny, white; to...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰōl-—

Words derived from “bolster”

  • bolster
  • bolsterer
  • bolstereth
  • rebolster
  • bolstre
  • bolster
Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰōl- →