Where does “threshold” come from?
Threshold comes from Middle English threschwolde, from Old English þresċold, from Proto-Germanic þreskwaþluz, which derives from the Proto-Germanic verb þreskaną and Proto-Indo-European terh₁-, meaning to thresh or rub.
threshold (English): The bottom-most part of a doorway that one...
Definitions
- The bottom-most part of a doorway that one...
Ancestry of “threshold”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | threschwolde | A door-sill; the bottom board of a door; An... |
| 2 | Old English | þresċold | doorsill, entryway |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þreskwaþluz | threshold |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þreskaną | to thresh |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |