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-Germanic *þunraz. 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 Middle English 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.

   • a. 1382, John Wycliffe, “Apocalips 6:1”, in Wycliffe's Bible:

     And Y ſai, that the lomb hadde openyd oon of the ſeuene ſeelis. And Y herde oon of the foure beeſtis ſeiynge, as a vois of thundur, Come, and ſe.

     And I noticed that the lamb had opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four beasts saying, with a voice like 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: dunder

References

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