Where does “thefly” come from?

thefly (Middle English) comes from Middle English þef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic þeub, from Proto-Germanic þeubaz, from Proto-Indo-European tewpó-.

thefly (Middle English): In a way resembling a thief; thievishly

Definitions

  1. In a way resembling a thief; thievishly

Ancestry of “thefly”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishþefAlternative form of thef
2Old Englishþēofthief
3Proto-West Germanicþeubthief
4Proto-Germanicþeubazthief
5Proto-Indo-Europeantewpó-—

Words derived from “thefly”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewpó- →Every word from Proto-Germanic þeubaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic þeub →