thew

Meanings

Noun

• A bondman; a slave.
• Muscle or sinew.
• A good quality or habit; virtue.
• An attractive physical attribute, especially muscle; mental or moral vigour.

Adjective

• Bond; servile.

Verb

• To oppress; enslave.
• Instruct in morals or values; chastise.

Origin

• From Middle English thew, theow, from Old English þēow, þēo, from Proto-Germanic *þewaz, *þegwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *tekwos ("runner"), from Proto-Indo-European *tekʷ- ("to run, flow"). Cognate with Old High German diu ("servant") and dio, Gothic 𐌸𐌹𐌿𐍃 ("bondman, slave, servant"), Dutch dienen ("to serve"), German dienen ("to serve"), Old English þegn ("servant, minister, vassal").
• From Middle English thewen, from Old English þēowan, þȳwan, from Proto-Germanic *þewjaną ("to enslave, oppress"), from Proto-Indo-European *tekʷ- ("to run, flow"). Cognate with Middle Dutch douwen, Middle Low German duwen, Middle High German diuhen, dūhen, diuwen.
• From Middle English thew, theaw (often in plural thewes), from Old English þēaw ("usage, custom, general practise of a community, mode of conduct, manner, practise, way, behaviour").
• Cognate with Old Frisian thāw, Old Saxon thau ("custom").
• possibly reflected in an Old High German *dou; West Germanic *þawwaz, of unknown etymology, by EWAhd tentatively identified as a reflex of an s-less variant of Proto-Indo-European *steh₂-.