Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “go-to” come from?

go-to (English) comes from English to, from Middle English to, from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

go-to (English): Desired; desirable; of choice; Reliable; likely...

Definitions

  1. Desired; desirable; of choice; Reliable; likely...

Ancestry of “go-to”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtoA particle used for marking the following verb as...
2Middle Englishtotoe; to; too
3Middle Englishtonethe one
4LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
5Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
6Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
7Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
8Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →