Where does “towel” come from?

Towel comes from Middle English towel, from Old French toaille, from Proto-West Germanic þwahilu, ultimately from Proto-Germanic þwahaną meaning to wash.

towel (English): A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for...

Definitions

  1. A cloth used for wiping, especially one used for...

Ancestry of “towel”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishtowayleA cloth for washing; a towel or washcloth; A...
2Old Frenchtoailletowel
3Medieval Latintoalliatowel, washcloth
4Frankishþwahilutowel, washcloth; cloth
5Proto-Germanicþwahanąto wash, bathe

Words derived from “towel”

Every word from Proto-Germanic þwahaną →