Where does “through” come from?
Through comes from Middle English thrugh and thurgh, from Old English þuruh, from Proto-Germanic þurhw, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₂-, a root meaning to cross or pierce.
through (English): From one side of an opening to the other;...
Definitions
- From one side of an opening to the other;...
Ancestry of “through”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | thrugh | — |
| 2 | Old English | þurh | API; through; by means of: by, through, via |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þurhw | through |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | tr̥h₂kʷe | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₂- | to cross over, pass through, overcome |
Words derived from “through”