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

  1. To pull or tow under; drag beneath; pull down; To...

Ancestry of “undertow”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishunder-Beneath, under
2EnglishunderIn or at a lower level than; As a subject of;...
3Middle Englishunderunder
4Old Englishunderunder, beneath
5Proto-Germanicunderamong, between; under, beneath; under
6Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁entérbetween
7Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁enin; in, inside
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁en →Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁entér →Every word from Proto-Germanic under →