English words from Proto-Germanic
7 English words with Proto-Germanic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
cleave
Two different Old English verbs have fallen together in this form. Cleave “to split” comes from Middle English cleven, from Old English clēofan, from Proto-Germanic *kleubaną, related to Old Norse…
lather
The noun goes back to Old English lēaþor “washing soda, soap, foam”, from Proto-Germanic *lauþrą, related to Old Norse lauðr (“foam, washing soap”). Watkins traces it to a Proto-Indo-European root…
sallow
The adjective comes from Middle English salowe, from Old English salo, salu “dusky, dark”, from Proto-Germanic *salwaz, related to Old High German salo “dirty grey” and Old Norse sǫlr “dirty…
stutter
It is a frequentative of dialectal stut, from Middle English stutten (“to stutter, stammer”). It is related to Dutch stotteren (“to stutter”) and Middle High German stōzen (“to push, strike”), from…
thane
It comes from Middle English thein, theyn, from Old English þegn “military follower, retainer”, from Proto-Germanic *þegnaz, related to Old Norse þegn (“freeman, thane”) and German Degen “warrior…
tithe
It comes from Middle English tithe, from Old English teogoþa (Anglian), tēoþa (West Saxon) “tenth”, from Proto-Germanic *tehunþô (“tenth”). It is a doublet of tenth, and Etymonline notes that it…
wharf
It comes from Middle English warf, from Old English hwearf “shore, bank where ships could tie up”, earlier “dam, embankment”, from Proto-Germanic *hwarbaz, related to Middle Low German werf “dam…