Etymology Explorer › Middle English

Where does “wherto” come from?

wherto (Middle English) comes from Middle English to, 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.

Ancestry of “wherto”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtotoe; to; too
2Middle Englishtonethe one
3LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
4Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
5Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
6Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
7Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →