Where does “thorn” come from?

thorn (Old Saxon) comes from Proto-Germanic þurnuz, from Proto-Indo-European tr̥nós, from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- — strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...

thorn (Old Saxon): thorn; thorny bush

Definitions

  1. thorn; thorny bush

Ancestry of “thorn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-Germanicþurnuzthorn, briar
2Proto-Indo-Europeantr̥nóssharp, stiff
3Proto-Indo-European(s)ter-strong, firm, stiff, rigid; rigid, stiff; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European (s)ter- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European tr̥nós →Every word from Proto-Germanic þurnuz →
thorn — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer