tow
/toʊ/
verb
Origin
Old English
togian — to pull, drag
Overview
Meaning Now
- To pull or haul a vessel or vehicle by a rope, chain, or towbar.
- To pull something along behind another vehicle.
Literal older meaning
to pull, drag
Language path
Proto-Germanic → Old English → English
Earliest form
togian
Earliest period
Old English period
Journey
The word stems from the Germanic verb for pulling, which is also the root for 'tug'. The specialized nautical sense of pulling a ship with a line emerged clearly in Middle English.
Evolution
- Proto-Germanic
*tugōną
“to pull”
- Old English
togian
“to pull, drag”
- Middle English
towen
“to pull or draw”
- Modern English
tow
“to pull by a line”
Connections
Word parts
tow
root
to pull
Related across languages
Old Norse
toga
to pull
Old High German
zogan
to pull
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.