Where does “toe-” come from?
toe- (Middle Dutch) comes from Old English tō-, from Old English te-, from Proto-Germanic twiz-, from Proto-Indo-European dwis- — two-ways, in twain; twice, in two.
Ancestry of “toe-”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | tō- | apart; to |
| 2 | Old English | te- | Alternative form of tō-; apart, asunder; apart,... |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | twiz- | in two, in twain; asunder, in pieces; apart,... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | dwis- | two-ways, in twain; twice, in two |