Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “too” come from?

Too comes from Middle English to, from Old English tō, from Latin te, from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ-.

too (English): Likewise; Also; in addition; To an excessive...

Definitions

  1. Likewise; Also; in addition; To an excessive...

Ancestry of “too”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtotoe; to; too
2Middle Englishtonethe one
3LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
4Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
5Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
6Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
7Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

Words derived from “too”

  • a bit much
  • tu
  • tu
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →