English
thunder
Thunder comes from Middle English thunder, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *(s)ten-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ten-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þunrazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þunrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150þunor
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thunder
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606thunder
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)ten-reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þunrazreconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þunrreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150þunor
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thunder
- Englishearliest quotation c. 1603–1606thunder
Earliest quotation: c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, The Tragedie of King Lear: “The revenging gods / 'Gainst parricides did all their…”
The story
Germanic cognates include West Frisian tonger, Dutch donder, German Donner, Old Norse Þórr (English Thor), Danish torden, Norwegian Nynorsk tore. Other cognates include Persian تندر (tondar), Latin tonō, detonō, Ancient Greek στένω (sténō), στενάζω (stenázō), στόνος (stónos), Στέντωρ (Sténtōr), Irish torann, Welsh taran, Gaulish Taranis.
Linked words
through Proto-West Germanic *þunr
Another origin of thunder
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)tenh₂-‘to thunder’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þunrazreconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*þunrōną‘to thunder’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*þunrōn‘to thunder’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150þunrian‘to thunder’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500thundren
- Englishtodaythunder
Today it means
noun The loud rumbling, cracking, or crashing sound caused by expansion of rapidly heated air around a lightning bolt.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)ten- / thunder