Where does “tou” come from?
tou (Middle English) comes from Old English þū, from Proto-West Germanic þū, from Proto-Germanic *þū, from Proto-Indo-European túh₂ — you, thou.
tou (Middle English): Alternative form of þou
Ancestry of “tou”, step by step
tou traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Old English þū
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | þū | you, thou (nominative singular) |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | þū | you |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | *þū | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | túh₂ | you, thou |
via Old English tōh
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old English | tōh | tough, tenacious, holding fast together; pliant;... |
| 2 | Proto-West Germanic | *tą̄h(ī) | tough |
| 3 | Proto-Germanic | tanhuz | holding together; clinging; sticky; tenacious;... |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | denḱ- | to bite |