English
hornet
Hornet comes from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- ‘horn’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-‘horn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥h₂sro-antennaeliterally ‘the one with horns (antennae)’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hursulǭreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hurznutōreconstructedalteration of *hursulǭ
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hurnutureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hyrnetu
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hernet
- Englishtodayhornet
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱerh₂-‘horn’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*ḱr̥h₂sro-antennaeliterally ‘the one with horns (antennae)’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hursulǭreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*hurznutōreconstructedalteration of *hursulǭ
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*hurnutureconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150hyrnetu
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500hernet
- Englishtodayhornet
The story
From Middle English hernet, from Old English hyrnetu, hyrnete, from Proto-West Germanic *hurnutu, from Proto-Germanic *hurznutō (compare German Hornisse), alteration of Proto-Germanic *hursulǭ (compare Dutch horzel), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱr̥h₂sro- (“hornet”, literally “the one with horns (antennae)”), from *ḱerh₂- (‘horn’) (compare Welsh creyryn (‘gadfly’), Latin crābrō (‘hornet’), Lithuanian širšė (‘wasp’), Proto-Slavic *sьrxy (whence Old Church Slavonic сръшень (srŭšenĭ, “hornet”) and many others), Albanian grerë, grenzë (‘wasp, hornet’)).
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- ‘horn’
cheer, hart, cerebral, crater, grail, migraine, carotid, procrastinate, corny, cerebellum, cranium, cairn, keratin, cornea, cerebrum, rother, cornet, 52 more
Today it means
noun Any large wasp of the genus Vespa, having a brown-and-yellow-striped body and the ability to inflict a serious sting.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂- / hornet