thrall

thrall · noun, adjective¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*tregʰ-“to pull, drag, race, run”
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*þrahilaz
3. Old Norse · derived fromþræll“slave”
4. Old English · inherited fromþrǣl“thrall, slave, servant”
5. Middle English · inherited fromthral
6. English todaythrall

From Middle English thral, thralle, threl, threlle, from Old English þrǣl (“thrall, slave, servant”), from Old Norse þræll (“slave”), from Proto-Germanic *þrahilaz, *þragilaz, *þrigilaz (“runner, gofer, servant”), from Proto-Indo-European *tregʰ- (“to pull, drag, race, run”), possibly a variant of *dʰregʰ- (“to run”); related to Gothic 𐌸𐍂𐌰𐌲𐌾𐌰𐌽 (þragjan), Old English þrǣġan (“to run”).

thrall · verb²

1. Middle English · inherited fromthrallen
2. English todaythrall

From Middle English thrallen, from the noun above. Compare Old Norse þræla.

Words from the same roots