Where does “toughen” come from?
Toughen is the English verb formed by adding the suffix -en to tough, which derives from Middle English tough, Old English tōh, Proto-Germanic *tainaz, and Proto-Indo-European roots denoting pulling or stretching.
toughen (English): To make tough; To become tough
Definitions
- To make tough; To become tough
Ancestry of “toughen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 2 | Middle English | -en | Denotes the past participle form when attached to... |
| 3 | Old English | -en | mæġþ + API → mæġden; cocc + API → cycen, cicen;... |
| 4 | Old Norse | -inn | Used to create adjectives from nouns, meaning... |
| 5 | Proto-Norse | -īna- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | -īnaz | -en |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | -iHnos | Creates adjectives of materials |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | -no- | adjectival suffix |