Where does “theyn” come from?
theyn (Middle English) comes from Old English þeġn, from Proto-West Germanic þegn, from Proto-Germanic þegnaz, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.
Ancestry of “theyn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | þeġn | servant |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | þegn | retainer, follower, servant |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þegnaz | retainer, servant |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |