through
θruː
adverb
Origin
Old English
þurh — through
Overview
Meaning Now
- In, on, or across the far side of; beyond.
- By means of passage from one side to the other.
- Completely or totally; thoroughly.
Language path
English
Earliest form
þurh
Earliest period
Old English
Journey
The term 'through' has evolved from Old English 'þurh', which itself stems from Proto-Indo-European '*terh₂-', indicating movement from one side to the other.
Evolution
- Old English
þurh
“through”
- Middle English
thurgh
“through”
Metathetic variants in Middle English.
- Early Modern English
through
“through”
Stable form in Early Modern English.
- Modern English
through
“through”
Current form in Modern English.
Connections
Word parts
through
root
to pass through
Related across languages
Frisian
döör
through
Saterland Frisian
truch
through
German
durch
through
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Related to through
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.