thimble

The story

1. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*þūmilaz“thumb-covering, thumb-sheath”
2. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*tewh₂-“to swell”
3. Old English · inherited fromþūma“thumb”
4. Old English · inherited fromþȳmel“thimble, thumbstall; fingerstall”
5. Middle English · inherited fromthymbyll
6. English todaythimble

The noun is derived from Middle English thymbyll, thimel (“thimble”) [and other forms], from Old English þȳmel (“thimble, thumbstall; fingerstall”), then either: * from Old English þūma (“thumb”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tewh₂- (“to swell”)) + -el (suffix forming agent nouns and the names of instruments); or * from Proto-Germanic *þūmilaz (“thumb-covering, thumb-sheath”), from *þūmô (“thumb”) (ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root mentioned above) + *-ilaz (suffix forming agent nouns). The English word is analysable as thumb + -le (suffix forming agent nouns), and is cognate with Dutch duimeling (“thumbstall”), German Däumling (“thumbstall”), German Low German Dümelke (“thumbstall”), Saterland Frisian Düümelke (“thumbstall”), Scots thummle, thumble (“thimble”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Words from the same roots