Where does “dunderkarl” come from?
dunderkarl (Swedish) comes from Swedish Karl, from Old Swedish karilʀ, from Old Norse Karl, from Proto-Norse ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ, from Proto-Germanic karilaz, from Proto-Germanic karaz, from Proto-Indo-European ǵerh₂- — to grow old, to mature.
dunderkarl (Swedish): a good dude, a heck of a guy
Definitions
- a good dude, a heck of a guy
Ancestry of “dunderkarl”, step by step
dunderkarl traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Swedish Karl
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | Karl | — |
| 2 | Old Swedish | karilʀ | a man |
| 3 | Old Norse | Karl | man |
| 4 | Proto-Norse | ᚲᚨᚱᛁᛚᚨᛉ | — |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | karilaz | free man, franklin; little man, young man |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | karaz | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵerh₂- | to grow old, to mature |
via Swedish dunder
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swedish | dunder | a deep, loud noise like from a lightning bolt; booming, thunder |
| 2 | Middle Low German | dunner | — |
| 3 | Old Saxon | thunar | — |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | þunr | thunder |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | Þunraz | Thor, god of thunder |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ten- | to thunder, rustle, rumble, drone, groan; to... |