Where does “to” come from?

to (Middle English) comes from Middle English tone, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

to (Middle English): toe; to; too

Definitions

  1. toe; to; too

Ancestry of “to”, step by step

to traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English tone

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtonethe one
2LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
3Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
4Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
5Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
6Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

via Old English tō

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishtōat, on; furthermore, also, besides; to, into
2Proto-West Germanic*tō—
3Proto-Germanictōto
4Proto-Indo-EuropeandeEmphatic or contrastive particle, and, but;...

Words derived from “to”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European tónos →Every word from Proto-Hellenic tónos →