Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tie” come from?

Tie comes from Middle English tei, Old English tēag, Proto-Germanic taugō, and Proto-Indo-European dewk-, ultimately from the root meaning to lead or draw.

tie (English): A knot; a fastening; A knot of hair, as at the...

Definitions

  1. A knot; a fastening; A knot of hair, as at the...

Ancestry of “tie”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishteien—
2Old Englishtīġan—
3Proto-Germanictaugijanąto stretch, draw
4Proto-Indo-Europeandewk-to pull, to draw; to lead

Words derived from “tie”

  • Thailand
  • Thai
  • tier
  • tying
  • necktie
  • Thais
  • multitiered
  • tiebreaker
  • bowtie
  • tiering
  • retie
  • multitier
  • tieless
  • intertie
  • tieback
  • tiebreaking
  • tiepin
  • tiebeam
  • midtier
  • tiebreak
  • tiebar
  • necktied
  • tiewig
  • bowtied
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dewk- →