Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “thrive” come from?

Thrive comes from Middle English thriven, from Old Norse þrífa, from Proto-Germanic þrīfaną, from Proto-Indo-European trep-.

thrive (English): To grow or increase stature; to grow vigorously...

Definitions

  1. To grow or increase stature; to grow vigorously...

Ancestry of “thrive”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishturf—
2Old Englishturfturf
3Proto-West Germanicturbturf, peat
4Proto-Germanicturbzturf, peat
5Proto-Indo-Europeandorbh-tuft, grass

Words derived from “thrive”

  • thriving
  • thriver
  • unthriving
  • thrivingness
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dorbh- →