Where does “tell-troth” come from?
tell-troth (English) comes from English tell, from Middle English tellen, from Old English tellan, from Proto-West Germanic talljan, from Proto-Germanic taljaną, from Proto-Germanic talą, from Proto-Indo-European dol-, from Proto-Indo-European del- — to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,...
Ancestry of “tell-troth”, step by step
tell-troth traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tell
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tell | To count, reckon, or enumerate; To narrate; To... |
| 2 | Middle English | tellen | to count; to tell |
| 3 | Old English | tellan | to count, calculate; to tell, narrate, recount;... |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | talljan | to count, to enumerate; to recount, to tell |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | taljaną | to enumerate, count; to account, recount, tell |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | talą | speech; number |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | dol- | reckoning, calculation, fraud; calculation, fraud |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | del- | to aim, calculate, adjust, count; to reckon,... |
via English troth
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | troth | An oath, pledge, or promise; Truth; something... |
| 2 | Middle English | troth | — |
| 3 | Old English | trēowþ | truth, good faith, honour |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | triwwiþō | promise, contract |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dóru | tree |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | drew- | hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree |