Where does “teen” come from?
teen (Middle English) comes from Old English tēon, from Old English tēohan, from Proto-West Germanic teuhan, from Proto-Germanic teuhaną, from Proto-Indo-European dewk- — to pull, to draw; to lead.
Ancestry of “teen”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | tēon | to drag, draw, pull; to train, discipline; to... |
| 2 | Old English | tēohan | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | teuhan | to pull; to lead |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | teuhaną | to lead; to pull behind oneself, draw, drag |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dewk- | to pull, to draw; to lead |