Clunk
/klʌŋk/noun
A dull, heavy sound, or the act of making such a sound.
Did you know?Clunk is an onomatopoeic word, meaning English likely forged it to imitate the sound itself rather than inheriting it from an ancient root.
Etymological Timeline
Late 16th Century
English
clunk
“A heavy, dull sound made by impact”
Middle English
English
clunken
“To make or strike a dull, heavy sound”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*klank-
“An imitative sound base suggesting a ringing or clanging noise”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*kel-
“No secure direct derivation is established; the word is best treated as expressive/onomatopoeic rather than inherited”