Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “threatfulness” come from?

threatfulness (English) comes from English threatful, from English threat, from Middle English threte, from Old English þrēat, from Proto-Germanic þrautaz, from Proto-Indo-European trewd- — to push, to thrust.

threatfulness (English): The quality of being threatful

Definitions

  1. The quality of being threatful

Ancestry of “threatfulness”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishthreatfulThreatening
2EnglishthreatAn expression of intent to injure or punish...
3Middle Englishthrete—
4Old Englishþrēatcrowd, swarm, troop, army, press; pressure,...
5Proto-Germanicþrautaz—
6Proto-Indo-Europeantrewd-to push, to thrust
Every word from Proto-Indo-European trewd- →