Where does “theif” come from?

theif (Middle Scots) comes from Middle English þef, from Old English þēof, from Proto-West Germanic þeub, from Proto-Germanic þeubaz, from Proto-Indo-European tewpó-.

theif (Middle Scots): A criminal or villain; a malicious or lawbreaking person

Definitions

  1. A criminal or villain; a malicious or lawbreaking person

Ancestry of “theif”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishþefAlternative form of thef
2Old Englishþēofthief
3Proto-West Germanicþeubthief
4Proto-Germanicþeubazthief
5Proto-Indo-Europeantewpó-—

Words derived from “theif”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewpó- →Every word from Proto-Germanic þeubaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic þeub →