Where does “tough” come from?
tough (German) comes from English tough, from English -ly, from English grisly, from Middle English grisely, from Old English grisliċ, from Old English -līċ, from Proto-Germanic *-līk.
tough (German): Alternative form of taff: tough; robust;...
Definitions
- Alternative form of taff: tough; robust;...
Ancestry of “tough”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tough | Strong and resilient; sturdy; Difficult to cut or... |
| 2 | English | -ly | Used to form adjectives from nouns, the... |
| 3 | English | grisly | Horrifyingly repellent; gruesome, terrifying;... |
| 4 | Middle English | grisely | — |
| 5 | Old English | grisliċ | grisly, horrible; dreadful, horrid |
| 6 | Old English | -līċ | suffix forming {{glossary|adjective}}s meaning... |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | *-līk | — |