andiron

Etymology

The word came into English as Middle English aundire or aundiren, taken from Old French andier, which may go back to Gaulish anderon (“heifer”) — compare Welsh anner, annair (“heifer”) and Breton annoar (“heifer”) — from Proto-Celtic *anderā (“young woman”); the link is either the four-legged, animal-like shape of these objects or the prominent bull-and-heifer decoration on them, and compare its other names fire-dog and dog-iron. The spelling was shaped by iron.