Where does “bolt” come from?

bolt (Old Saxon) comes from Proto-West Germanic bolt, from Proto-Germanic bultaz, from Proto-Indo-European bʰeld- — to knock, strike.

Ancestry of “bolt”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanicboltbolt arrow
2Proto-Germanicbultazbolt
3Proto-Indo-Europeanbʰeld-to knock, strike

Words derived from “bolt”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European bʰeld- →Every word from Proto-Germanic bultaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic bolt →
bolt — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer