Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “thral” come from?

thral (Middle English) comes from Old English þrǣl, from Old Norse þræll, from Proto-Germanic þragilaz, from Proto-Indo-European trāgʰ- — pull, drag, race, run; to pull, drag, race, run.

Ancestry of “thral”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishþrǣlthrall, slave, servant
2Old Norseþrællslave
3Proto-Germanicþragilazrunner; gofer; servant
4Proto-Indo-Europeantrāgʰ-pull, drag, race, run; to pull, drag, race, run

Words derived from “thral”

  • thrall
  • thirlage
  • bethrall
  • thrallage
Every word from Proto-Indo-European trāgʰ- →