Where does “þēn” come from?

þēn (Old English) comes from Old English þeġn, from Proto-West Germanic þegn, from Proto-Germanic þegnaz, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.

Ancestry of “þēn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishþeġnservant
2Proto-West Germanicþegnretainer, follower, servant
3Proto-Germanicþegnazretainer, servant
4Proto-Indo-Europeanteḱ-to sire, beget
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- →Every word from Proto-Germanic þegnaz →Every word from Proto-West Germanic þegn →