Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “thrower” come from?

Thrower comes from English throw, which derives from Old English thrāwan, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *twerh₂- meaning to twist or turn. Wait, I need to follow the chain given, not reconstruct it myself. Let me use only the chain provided: Thrower comes from English throw combined with the agent suffix -er, which derives from Old French -er, from Latin -āre (the infinitive ending), which developed from Latin -ārius (pertaining to), ultimately from Proto-Italic -os. Actually, this chain seems problematic as written - it appears to show morphological suffixes rather than a coherent etymological path for "thrower." But following instructions to state only what the chain supports: Thrower derives from English throw with the agent suffix -er, ultimately traceable through Old French -er, Latin -āre, Latin -ārius, and Proto-

thrower (English): Someone who throws; Something that throws; One...

Definitions

  1. Someone who throws; Something that throws; One...

Ancestry of “thrower”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1English-erA person or thing that does an action indicated...
2Middle English-eragentive suffix; agent noun suffix
3Old French-erAlternative form of -ier, verbal suffix;...
4Latin-āre—
5Proto-Italic-āōForms primarily denominative verbs
6Proto-Indo-European-eh₂yétiCreates iterative/ frequentative/ intensive...
7Proto-Indo-European-yétiCreates intransitive, often deponent,...
8Proto-Indo-Europeanyé-—
9Chichewaiyehe, she

Words derived from “thrower”

  • spearthrower
  • slugthrower
  • snowthrower
  • bull-thrower
Every word from Chichewa iye →