Etymology Explorer › Middle EnglishWhere does “-the” come from? -the (Middle English) comes from Old English -þ, from Old English -þu, from Proto-West Germanic -iþu, from Proto-Germanic -iþō, from Proto-Indo-European -iteh₂ — -th.
-the (Middle English): (rarely productive); -th, -ness
Definitions (rarely productive); -th, -ness Ancestry of “-the”, step by step Step Language Word Meaning 1 Old English -þ forming abstract nouns from verbs, adjectives or... 2 Old English -þu forming abstract nouns from verbs, adjectives or... 3 Proto-West Germanic -iþu Forms abstract nouns from verbs, adjectives or... 4 Proto-Germanic -iþō -ness, -th 5 Proto-Indo-European -iteh₂ -th
Words derived from “-the”