Where does “undertow” come from?
Undertow comes from Middle English under- combined with Old English togian, from Proto-Germanic under and Proto-Indo-European dewk- meaning to pull or lead.
undertow (English): To pull or tow under; drag beneath; pull down; To...
Definitions
- To pull or tow under; drag beneath; pull down; To...
Ancestry of “undertow”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | under- | Under : insufficient, insufficiently, below what... |
| 2 | English | under | In or at a lower level than; As a subject of;... |
| 3 | Middle English | under | — |
| 4 | Old English | under | under |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | under | among, between; under, beneath; under |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁entér | between |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | h₁en | in; in, inside |