Where does “that” come from?
that (English) comes from Middle English þat, from Old English þæt, from Proto-Germanic þat, from Proto-Indo-European tód, from Proto-Indo-European to-, from Proto-Indo-European só — this; that.
Ancestry of “that”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | þat | Alternative form of that |
| 2 | Old English | þæt | nominative/accusative neuter singular of se: the;... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þat | nominative/accusative singular neuter of *sa |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | tód | demonstrative pronoun; that; it |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | to- | it; that; the, that |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | só | this; that |