Etymology Map
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Blunderbuss

2 stages from Dutch to English.

Today it means a short large-bored gun firing many balls

Where does the word "blunderbuss" come from? It comes from Dutch donderbus, adopted directly into English (1650s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
donderbus
Dutch · 1600s
"thunder gun"
'thunder gun', from 'donder', thunder, and 'bus', gun barrel
2
Stage 2 of 2
blunderbuss
English · 1650s
"scattergun"
reshaped by English 'blunder', a fitting word for such an inaccurate gun
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Blunderbuss’s story begins in Dutch: donderbus meant “thunder gun.” 'thunder gun', from 'donder', thunder, and 'bus', gun barrel. It reached English by 1650s as blunderbuss. Reshaped by English 'blunder', a fitting word for such an inaccurate gun. Today, blunderbuss means a short large-bored gun firing many balls.