Where does “tooth” come from?

Tooth comes from Middle English tooth, Old English tōþ, Proto-Germanic tanþs, and Proto-Indo-European h₃dónts, ultimately from the root h₁ed- meaning to eat.

tooth (English): A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth...

Definitions

  1. A hard, calcareous structure present in the mouth...

Ancestry of “tooth”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishtothAlternative form of tothe
2Old Englishtōþtooth
3Proto-Germanictanþstooth
4Proto-Indo-Europeanh₃dóntstooth
5Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁ed-to eat

Words derived from “tooth

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁ed-