Etymology

-th

Today it means: Used to form nouns from verbs of action. Full definition →

Middle English -the ← Old English -þ ← Proto-Germanic *-iþō
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-th · suffix1

  1. Proto-Indo-European · inherited from*-iteh₂
  2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*-iþō
  3. Old English · inherited from-þ
  4. Middle English · inherited from-the
  5. English today-th

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (abstract nominal suffix), from Old English -þ, -t, -þu, -tu, -þo, -to (“-th”, abstract nominal suffix), from Proto-Germanic *-iþō, from Proto-Indo-European *-iteh₂. Cognate with Scots -th, West Frisian -te, Dutch -te, Low German -de, Danish -de, Swedish -d, Icelandic -ð, -d, Gothic -𐌹𐌸𐌰 (-iþa), Latin -itās (“-ty, -ity”). See -ity, -t.

-th · suffix2

  1. Old English · inherited from-þa
  2. Middle English · inherited from-the
  3. English today-th

From Middle English -the, -th, -te, -t (ordinal suffix), from Old English -þa, -þe, -oþa, -oþe, derived from a Proto-Indo-European superlative suffix.

-th · suffix3

  1. Old English · inherited from-eþ
  2. Middle English · inherited from-eth
  3. English today-th

From Middle English -eth, -th, from Old English -eþ, -aþ, -þ.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.