Where does “thewen” come from?
thewen (Middle English) comes from Old English þēowan, from Proto-Germanic þewjaną, from Proto-Indo-European tekʷ- — to run, to flow.
Ancestry of “thewen”, step by step
thewen traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English þēowan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | þēowan | to press |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | þewjaną | to enslave, oppress |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | tekʷ- | to run, to flow |
via Old English þȳwan
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | þȳwan | to press, impress, force, press on, urge on,... |