Where does “throng” come from?
throng (Middle English) comes from Old English þrang, from Proto-Germanic þrangwą, from Proto-Germanic þrangwaz, from Proto-Germanic þrinhwaną, from Proto-Indo-European trenkʷ- — to push, to press.
Ancestry of “throng”, step by step
throng traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English þrang
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | þrang | — |
| 2 | Proto-Germanic | þrangwą | — |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | þrangwaz | pressing; narrow |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | þrinhwaną | to press, to push; to force |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | trenkʷ- | to push, to press |
via Old English ġeþrang
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old English | ġeþrang | crowd, press, tumult |