Where does “therein” come from?
Therein comes from Old English þær-inne, combining þær (there) and inne (in), ultimately deriving from Proto-Indo-European en (in).
therein (English): in that; in him/her/it
Ancestry of “therein”, step by step
therein traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English there
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | there | In a place or location at some distance from the... |
| 2 | Old English | þær | there |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | þār | there |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þar | there, in that place |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tar- | there |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | to- | it; that; the, that |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | só | this; that |
via English in
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | in | Used to indicate location, inclusion, or position... |
| 2 | Middle English | in | Any kind of accomodation; particularly; A home or... |
| 3 | Old English | in | in; Alternative form of inn |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *in | — |
Words derived from “therein”