Etymograph

English

pommer

Pommer comes from German Pommer, from Italian bombarda ‘bombard’, and ultimately from Ancient Greek βόμβος ‘any deep, hollow sound, humming, buzzing,…’.

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβόμβος1‘any deep, hollow sound, humming, buzzing, booming, rumbling’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbombus2‘buzzing’
  3. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600bombarde2‘a bombard, mortar, catapult"’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentbombarde3‘a bassoon-like medieval instrument’
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentbombarda4‘bombard’
  6. Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350bumhart4
  7. Germanc. 1650–presentPommer4
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1900pommer4

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Latin bombus
  2. 2 Wiktionary, French bombarde
  3. 3 Wiktionary, Italian bombarda
  4. 4 Wiktionary, English pommer
  5. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1900, Musical News: “The treble pommer was the equivalent of our hautboy;…”.

Lineage

  1. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEβόμβοςWiktionary, Latin bombus‘any deep, hollow sound, humming, buzzing, booming, rumbling’
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEbombusWiktionary, French bombarde‘buzzing’
  3. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600bombardeWiktionary, French bombarde‘a bombard, mortar, catapult"’
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentbombardeWiktionary, Italian bombarda‘a bassoon-like medieval instrument’
  5. Italianc. 1300–presentbombardaWiktionary, English pommer‘bombard’
  6. Middle High Germanc. 1050–1350bumhartWiktionary, English pommer
  7. Germanc. 1650–presentPommerWiktionary, English pommer
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1900pommerWiktionary, English pommer. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1900, Musical News: “The treble pommer was the equivalent of our hautboy;…”

Linked words

through Latin bombus ‘buzzing’

bound, bomba, 3 more

through French bombarde ‘a bassoon-like medieval instrument’

bombard

through Italian bombarda ‘bombard’

bombardier

Today it means

noun An alto, tenor, or bass instrument of the shawm family.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “pommer”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entries for Latin bombus, French bombarde, Italian bombarda. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Ancient Greek βόμβος / pommer

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