Where does “tear” come from?
Tear comes from Middle English teren, derived from the Middle English verb-forming suffix -en applied to a root ultimately traced to Proto-Indo-European dóru, meaning wood or tree.
tear (English): To rend by holding or restraining in two places...
Definitions
- To rend by holding or restraining in two places...
Ancestry of “tear”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tear | Alternative form of tere |
| 2 | Old English | teagor | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | tah(h)r | tear |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | tahrą | tear |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dáḱru- | tears; tear |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dr̥ḱ-h₂eḱru- | eye bitter |
Words derived from “tear”