Where does “threadbare” come from?
Threadbare comes from Middle English bare, meaning uncovered or worn thin, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European bʰer-, which originally meant to bear or carry.
threadbare (English): shabby, frayed and worn to an extent that warp...
Definitions
- shabby, frayed and worn to an extent that warp...
Ancestry of “threadbare”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | bare | Minimal; that is or are just sufficient; Naked,... |
| 2 | Middle English | bare | Alternative form of bor |
| 3 | Old English | bær | bare, naked, unconcealed |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | baʀ | bare, naked |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | bazaz | bare, naked |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰosós | bare, barefoot |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰos- | to sally forth, barge, hurtle out; bare, barefoot |
Words derived from “threadbare”