tough

The story

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*denḱ-“to bite”
2. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*tanhuz“fitting; clinging; tenacious; tough”
3. Proto-West Germanic · inherited from*tą̄h(ī)
4. Old English · inherited fromtōh“tough, tenacious, holding fast together; pliant; sticky, glutinous, clammy”
5. Middle English · inherited fromtough
6. English todaytough

From Middle English tough, towgh, tou, toȝ, from Old English tōh (“tough, tenacious, holding fast together; pliant; sticky, glutinous, clammy”), from Proto-West Germanic *tą̄h(ī), from Proto-Germanic *tanhuz (“fitting; clinging; tenacious; tough”), from *tinganą (“to press upon, throng”), from Proto-Indo-European *denḱ- (“to bite”). Cognates Cognate with Saterland Frisian toai (“tough”), Bavarian zaach, zach (“tough”), Dutch taai (“tough”), German zäh, zähe (“tough”), Limburgish tiee (“tough”), Luxembourgish zéi (“tough”); also Ancient Greek δάκνω (dáknō, “to bite”), Albanian danë, darë (“tongs; pincers; pliers”), Sanskrit दशति (daśati, “to bite”).

Words from the same roots