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
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-West Germanic | bolt | bolt arrow |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | bultaz | bolt |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeld- | to knock, strike |