gun
/ɡʌn/
noun
Origin
Old Norse
gunnhildr — war-sword or battle-goddess
Overview
Meaning Now
- A weapon incorporating a metal tube from which bullets, shells, or other missiles are propelled by explosive force.
- A device that projects something at high velocity, such as a paint sprayer or a caulking gun.
Literal older meaning
An engine of war; originally applied to ballistae.
Language path
Old Norse → Middle English → English
Earliest form
gonne
Earliest period
14th century
Journey
The term likely evolved from the practice of giving female names to siege engines in the Middle Ages. The Old Norse name 'Gunnhildr' (composed of 'gunnr', meaning 'war', and 'hildr', meaning 'battle') became associated with these machines before being transferred to early gunpowder artillery.
Evolution
- 10th century
Gunnhildr
“A female personal name, often used as an epithet for weapons”
Hypothesized to have been used to personify siege engines.
- 1330
gonne
“A large engine of war (ballista or catapult)”
Earliest recorded usage in English documents.
- 15th century
gunne
“Early firearm or cannon”
- 17th century
gun
“A portable firearm”
Became the common term for handguns or muskets.
Connections
Word parts
gun
root
weapon
Related across languages
Old Norse
gunnr
war
Explore next
Related to gun
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.