thonder

Middle English

Alternative forms

• thoner, thunder, thundre, thonre, thunnere, þunre, thwndur, thundur, thondir, thondyr, þonder, þunder, thounder, thundyr

Etymology

Inherited from Old English þunor, from Proto-West Germanic *þunr.

The varieties with -d- are from the oblique stem of þunor, þunr-, which experienced a sound change -nr- → -ndr-; this was leveled into all forms of the word (compare gandre).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈθundər/, /ˈθunər/

Noun

thonder (plural thondres)

1. Thunder (loud noise created during a thunderstorm).
2. A thunderstorm (storm which accompanies such a loud noise).
3. Something which acoustically resembles thunder.
   • c. 1395, John Wycliffe, John Purvey [et al.], transl., Bible (Wycliffite Bible (later version), MS Lich 10.)‎^[1], published c. 1410, Apocalips 6:1, page 119r, column 2; republished as Wycliffe's translation of the New Testament, Lichfield: Bill Endres, 2010:

     And I ſai þat þe lomb hadde opened oon of þe ſeuene ſeelis. ⁊ I herde oon of þe foure beeſtis ſeiynge as a vois of þundur / come ⁊ ſe

     And I saw that the lamb had opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four creatures saying, like the sound of thunder, "Come and see!"

4. Lightning (especially in contexts referring to destruction)
5. (rare) A threat or intimidation.

Related terms

• thonder clappe
• Thursday

Descendants

• English: thunder
• Scots: thuner, thunder, thundir
• Yola: dhunder, dunder

References

• “thǒnder, n.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-10-08.