Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “thole” come from?

thole (Middle English) comes from Middle English tholen, from Old English þolian, from Proto-Germanic þulāną, from Proto-Indo-European telh₂- — to bear, to undergo, to endure; ground, bottom.

Ancestry of “thole”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtholen—
2Old Englishþolianto suffer, endure
3Proto-Germanicþulānąto bear, to endure
4Proto-Indo-Europeantelh₂-to bear, to undergo, to endure; ground, bottom
Every word from Proto-Indo-European telh₂- →