Where does “touaille” come from?

touaille (Middle French) comes from Old French toaille, from Medieval Latin toallia, from Frankish þwahilu, from Proto-Germanic þwahaną — to wash, bathe.

Ancestry of “touaille”, step by step

touaille traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Old French toaille

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchtoailletowel
2Medieval Latintoalliatowel, washcloth
3Frankishþwahilutowel, washcloth; cloth
4Proto-Germanicþwahanąto wash, bathe

via Old French tevale

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Frenchtevaletowel

Words derived from “touaille

Every word from Proto-Germanic þwahanąEvery word from Frankish þwahiluEvery word from Medieval Latin toallia