Source etymology 1 · variant 1/2
Original entry ↗A (usually) metal fastener consisting of a cylindrical body that is threaded, with a larger head on one end. It can be inserted into an unthreaded hole up to the head, with a nut then threaded on the other end; a heavy machine screw. · A sliding pin or bar in a lock or latch mechanism. · A bar of wood or metal dropped in horizontal hooks on a door and adjoining wall or between the two sides of a double door, to prevent the door(s) from being forced open. · A sliding mechanism to chamber and unchamber a cartridge in a firearm.
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bʰeld- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *bʰóldos? Proto-Germanic *bultaz Proto-West Germanic *bolt Old English bolt Middle English bolt English bolt From Middle English bolt, from Old English bolt, from Proto-West Germanic *bolt, from Proto-Germanic *bultaz, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *bʰeld- (“to knock, strike”). Compare Lithuanian beldu (“I knock”), baldas (“pole for striking”). Akin to Dutch and West Frisian bout, German Bolz or Bolzen, Danish bolt, Swedish bult, Icelandic bolti. The association of thunder and lightning with 'bolts' is found back into prehistory in many cultures, at least in Eurasia. It comes from the long-standing widespread belief that lightning was caused by bolts, darts, or stones hurtling down from the sky to the earth. This belief was still regarded as commonplace until at least 1929.
Relationships mentioned by the source
These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.
This page abbreviates 11 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.
Inspect preserved source fields
Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.
{
"templates": [
{
"name": "ety",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":inh",
"3": "enm:bolt<ety:inh<ang:bolt>>",
"id": "fastener",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeld-\nProto-Indo-European *-os\nProto-Indo-European *bʰóldos?\nProto-Germanic *bultaz\nProto-West Germanic *bolt\nOld English bolt\nMiddle English bolt\nEnglish bolt\n[Appendix:Glossary#inherited|Inherited]] from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bultaz\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*bolt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"bolt\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"bolt\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"bolt\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-id=\"fastener\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"bolt\" id=\"English:_fastener\">"
},
{
"name": "inh",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "enm",
"3": "bolt"
},
"expansion": "Middle English bolt"
},
{
"name": "inh",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ang",
"3": "bolt"
},
"expansion": "Old English bolt"
},
{
"name": "inh",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gmw-pro",
"3": "*bolt"
},
"expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *bolt"
},
{
"name": "inh",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "gem-pro",
"3": "*bultaz"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Germanic *bultaz"
},
{
"name": "der",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": "ine-pro",
"3": "*bʰeld-",
"4": "",
"5": "to knock, strike"
},
"expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *bʰeld- (“to knock, strike”)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "lt",
"2": "beldu",
"3": "",
"4": "I knock"
},
"expansion": "Lithuanian beldu (“I knock”)"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "de",
"2": "Bolz"
},
"expansion": "German Bolz"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "da",
"2": "bolt"
},
"expansion": "Danish bolt"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "sv",
"2": "bult"
},
"expansion": "Swedish bult"
},
{
"name": "cog",
"args": {
"1": "is",
"2": "bolti"
},
"expansion": "Icelandic bolti"
},
{
"name": "ety",
"args": {
"1": "en",
"2": ":inh",
"3": "enm:bolt<ety:inh<ang:bolt>>",
"id": "fastener",
"tree": "1"
},
"expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *bʰeld-\nProto-Indo-European *-os\nProto-Indo-European *bʰóldos?\nProto-Germanic *bultaz\nProto-West Germanic *bolt\nOld English bolt\nMiddle English bolt\nEnglish bolt"
}
],
"links": [
[
"*bʰeld-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeld-"
],
[
"*-os",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-os#Proto-Indo-European:_thematic"
],
[
"*bultaz",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bultaz"
],
[
"*bolt",
"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bolt"
],
[
"bolt",
"bolt#Old_English"
],
[
"bolt",
"bolt#Middle_English"
],
[
"bolt",
"bolt#Middle_English"
],
[
"bolt",
"bolt#Old_English"
],
[
"*bolt",
"Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/bolt"
],
[
"*bultaz",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/bultaz"
],
[
"*bʰeld-",
"Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/bʰeld-"
],
[
"beldu",
"beldu#Lithuanian"
],
[
"baldas",
"baldas#Lithuanian"
],
[
"bout",
"bout#Dutch"
],
[
"Bolz",
"Bolz#German"
],
[
"Bolzen",
"Bolzen#German"
],
[
"bolt",
"bolt#Danish"
],
[
"bult",
"bult#Swedish"
],
[
"bolti",
"bolti#Icelandic"
]
],
"references": [],
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Bislama",
"lang_code": "bi",
"word": "bol"
},
{
"lang": "Irish",
"lang_code": "ga",
"word": "bolta",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
},
{
"lang": "Japanese",
"lang_code": "ja",
"word": "ボルト",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "boruto"
},
{
"lang": "Maltese",
"lang_code": "mt",
"word": "bolt",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
},
{
"lang": "Mokilese",
"lang_code": "mkj",
"word": "pwohl",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
},
{
"lang": "Russian",
"lang_code": "ru",
"word": "болт",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
],
"roman": "bolt",
"descendants": [
{
"lang": "Azerbaijani",
"lang_code": "az",
"word": "bolt",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
},
{
"lang": "Ingrian",
"lang_code": "izh",
"word": "boltta",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
}
]
},
{
"lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
"lang_code": "gd",
"word": "bolta",
"raw_tags": [
"borrowed"
]
}
],
"lexical": [
{
"pos": "noun",
"glosses": [
"A (usually) metal fastener consisting of a cylindrical body that is threaded, with a larger head on one end. It can be inserted into an unthreaded hole up to the head, with a nut then threaded on the other end; a heavy machine screw.",
"A sliding pin or bar in a lock or latch mechanism.",
"A bar of wood or metal dropped in horizontal hooks on a door and adjoining wall or between the two sides of a double door, to prevent the door(s) from being forced open.",
"A sliding mechanism to chamber and unchamber a cartridge in a firearm."
],
"tags": [],
"recordId": "844033216d1557e8ae645bc3f322241fae39e05ec3073296fbad05e1d2fc0ed0",
"rawRecordSha256": "e1972a16dc8d188aafb40d023f7417095cb161f941ef14897e92a4d897cf3494",
"sourceRecordOrdinal": 142960
}
],
"omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
"templates": 0,
"links": 0,
"references": 0,
"descendants": 0,
"lexicalRecords": 0,
"lexicalSenses": 11,
"glosses": 0
}
}