Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tawse” come from?

tawse (English) comes from English taw, from Middle English tawen, from Old English tawian, from Proto-Germanic *tauwjan, from Proto-Germanic tawjaną, from Proto-Indo-European dewh₂- — to fit.

tawse (English): A leather strap or thong which is split into ...

Definitions

  1. A leather strap or thong which is split into ...

Ancestry of “tawse”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtawTo prepare or dress, as hemp, by beating; to tew;...
2Middle Englishtawento taw, prepare
3Old Englishtawianto prepare, make ready
4Proto-Germanic*tauwjan—
5Proto-Germanictawjanąto make, complete
6Proto-Indo-Europeandewh₂-to fit
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dewh₂- →