English
tow
Tow comes from Old English togian ‘to tow’, from Proto-Germanic *tugōną ‘to draw, pull’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dewk-.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to draw, pull’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tugōną‘to draw, pull’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*togōn‘to pull, tow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150togian‘to tow’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500towen
- Englishearliest quotation 2019tow
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewk-‘to draw, pull’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tugōną‘to draw, pull’reconstructed
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*togōn‘to pull, tow’reconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150togian‘to tow’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500towen
- Englishearliest quotation 2019tow
Earliest quotation: 2019, Andrew Benson: “On Saturday, Vettel was very unhappy with Leclerc's failure…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to draw, pull’
team, education, production, product, produce, reduce, conduct, introduction, tie, touch, duke, reduction, introduce, educate, duchess, induction, toy, tying, dolphin, duct, induce, tuck, tighten, conn, douche, educator, conducive, seduce, subdue, duchy, doge, herzog, tether, taut, transducer, duc, redux, cond, duce, untie, 125 more
through Old English togian ‘to tow’
Another origin of tow
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*dewh₂-‘to fit’root as named · steps between not traced
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500touw
- Englishtodaytow
Today it means
verb To pull something behind one, such as by using a line, chain, or tongue.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *dewk- / tow