Where does “thrift” come from?
Thrift comes from Middle English thrift, from Old Norse þrift, meaning the act of thriving or grasping for gain.
thrift (English): The characteristic of using a minimum of...
Definitions
- The characteristic of using a minimum of...
Ancestry of “thrift”, step by step
thrift traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English thrive
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | thrive | To grow or increase stature; to grow vigorously... |
| 2 | Middle English | turf | soil, earth |
| 3 | Old English | turf | turf |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | turb | turf, peat |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | turbz | turf, peat |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | dorbh- | tuft, grass |
via Middle English þrift
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | þrift | growth |
| 2 | Old Norse | þrift | thriving condition, prosperity |
Words derived from “thrift”