Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “touch” come from?

Touch comes from Middle English touchen, from Old French tochier, from Latin toccare, from Frankish tukkōn, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European dewk-, meaning to lead or pull.

touch (English): Primarily physical senses; Primarily non-physical...

Definitions

  1. Primarily physical senses; Primarily non-physical...

Ancestry of “touch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtouchento touch
2Old Frenchtochierto touch
3Vulgar Latintuccoto knock, strike, offend; to strike; to touch; I...
4Frankishtukkōnto knock, strike, touch; to touch, hit; to touch
5Proto-Germanictukkōnąto tug, pull; to grab, snatch; to grasp, touch
6Proto-Indo-Europeandewk-to pull, to draw; to lead

Words derived from “touch”

  • touching
  • touchstone
  • touchdown
  • untouchable
  • touchingly
  • untouchability
  • touchpad
  • touchpoint
  • touchwood
  • touchline
  • touchtone
  • toucht
  • touchest
  • multitouch
  • touchless
  • nontouching
  • untouch
  • aftertouch
  • untouching
  • touchingness
  • touchability
  • untouchably
  • untouchableness
  • untoucht
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dewk- →