English

adderbolt

From adder (“venomous snake”) + bolt (“arrow”).

A compound of adder ‘venomous snake’ + bolt ‘arrow’

Proto-Indo-European *(s)neh₁- ‘to spin (thread), to sew’

…

Proto-Germanic *nadrǭ

Proto-West Germanic *nadrā

Old English nǣdre ‘snake’

Middle English nadder

English adder

Proto-Germanic *bultaz

Proto-West Germanic *bolt ‘bolt arrow’

Old English bolt

Middle English bolt

English bolt

Today it means

noun A dragonfly.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / adderbolt