Where does “tenpins” come from?

tenpins (English) comes from English ten, from Middle English ten, from Old English tēon, from Old English tēohan, from Proto-West Germanic teuhan, from Proto-Germanic teuhaną, from Proto-Indo-European dewk- — to pull, to draw; to lead.

tenpins (English): A game, a form of bowling, played with ten pins...

Definitions

  1. A game, a form of bowling, played with ten pins...

Ancestry of “tenpins”, step by step

tenpins traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English ten

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishtenThe number occurring after nine and before...
2Middle Englishtenten; plural of tothe
3Old Englishtēonto drag, draw, pull; to train, discipline; to...
4Old Englishtēohan
5Proto-West Germanicteuhanto pull; to lead
6Proto-Germanicteuhanąto lead; to pull behind oneself, draw, drag
7Proto-Indo-Europeandewk-to pull, to draw; to lead

via English pins

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishpinsplural of pin; Third-person singular simple...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dewk-Every word from Proto-Germanic teuhanąEvery word from Proto-West Germanic teuhan