Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “thrown” come from?

Thrown comes from Middle English throwe and thrawe, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₁-, a root meaning to twist or turn.

thrown (English): past participle of throw; Launched by throwing;...

Definitions

  1. past participle of throw; Launched by throwing;...

Ancestry of “thrown”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishthrowen—
2Old Englishþrāwanto turn, twist, wind; to turn, twist, curl, rack,...
3Proto-West Germanicþrāanto twist
4Proto-Germanicþrēanąto twist, to turn
5Proto-Indo-Europeanterh₁-to rub, turn; to drill, pierce

Words derived from “thrown”

  • downthrown
  • windthrown
  • forethrown
Every word from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- →