Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “twin” come from?

twin (Middle English) comes from Old English twīn, from Proto-West Germanic twiʀn, from Proto-Germanic twiznaz, from Proto-Indo-European dwisnós, from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ — two.

Ancestry of “twin”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishtwīndouble thread, twist, twine, linen-thread, linen
2Proto-West Germanictwiʀntwine, double thread
3Proto-Germanictwiznaz—
4Proto-Indo-Europeandwisnósdouble
5Proto-Indo-Europeandwóh₁two

Words derived from “twin”

  • twine
  • intertwining
  • intertwine
  • entwine
  • entwining
  • entwinement
  • intertwinement
  • untwine
  • twiner
  • twineth
  • intwine
  • disentwine
  • twiny
  • entwineth
  • betwine
  • intertwiningly
  • twinest
  • intertwiner
  • entwiningly
  • entwinest
  • twineless
  • touinne
Every word from Proto-Indo-European dwóh₁ →