English
thorn
Thorn comes from Middle English thorn ‘a thorn’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós ‘sharp, stiff’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tr̥nós‘sharp, stiff’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þurnaz‘thorn, briar’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þorn‘thorn, briar’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150þorn
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thorn‘a thorn’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tr̥nós‘sharp, stiff’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þurnaz‘thorn, briar’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þorn‘thorn, briar’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150þorn
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thorn‘a thorn’
- Englishearliest quotation 1611same form
Earliest quotation: 1611, The Holy Bible, London: […] Robert Barker: “There was given to me a thorn in the…”
Every English word from Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós
Today it means
noun A modified branch that is hard and sharp like a spike.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tr̥nós / thorn