Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “þrǣl” come from?

þrǣl (Old English) comes from Old Norse þræll, from Proto-Germanic þragilaz, from Proto-Indo-European trāgʰ- — pull, drag, race, run; to pull, drag, race, run.

þrǣl (Old English): thrall, slave, servant

Definitions

  1. thrall, slave, servant

Ancestry of “þrǣl”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Norseþrællslave
2Proto-Germanicþragilazrunner; gofer; servant
3Proto-Indo-Europeantrāgʰ-pull, drag, race, run; to pull, drag, race, run

Words derived from “þrǣl”

  • thrall
  • thirlage
  • bethrall
  • thrallage
  • thralle
  • threl
  • thral
  • threlle
Every word from Proto-Indo-European trāgʰ- →