*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of tho

From Middle English tho, tha, from Old English þā (“the, those”, plural), from Proto-West Germanic *þai, from Proto-Germanic *þai (“those”), from Proto-Indo-European *to-, *só (“that”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian do

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
article

The (plural form); those.

pron

Those; they.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English tho, tha, from Old English þā (“the, those”, plural), from Proto-West Germanic *þai, from Proto-Germanic *þai (“those”), from Proto-Indo-European *to-, *só (“that”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian do (“the”, plural). Doublet of they.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionthoenm
  • Inherited-form mentionþāang
  • Inherited-form mention*þaigmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*þaigem-pro · those
  • Derivation mention*to-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentiondostq · the
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "3": "tho"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
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        "4": "",
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    },
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    },
    {
      "name": "dbt",
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        "1": "en",
        "2": "they"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of they"
    }
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  "links": [
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      "tho#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "tha",
      "tha#Middle_English"
    ],
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      "þā",
      "þa#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*þai",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/þai"
    ],
    [
      "*þai",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/þai"
    ],
    [
      "*to-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/to-"
    ],
    [
      "*só",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/só"
    ],
    [
      "do",
      "do#Saterland_Frisian"
    ],
    [
      "they",
      "they#English"
    ]
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  "references": [],
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      "glosses": [
        "The (plural form); those."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
adv

Then; thereupon.

conj

When.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Middle English tho, tha, from Old English þā (“then, when”), from Proto-Germanic *þa- (“that”), from Proto-Indo-European *to-, *só (“that”). See also German da (“then, thereupon”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Inherited-form mentionthoenm
  • Inherited-form mentionþāang
  • Derivation mention*sagem-pro
  • Derivation mention*to-ine-pro
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    },
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        "4": "",
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    },
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      "þa#Old_English"
    ],
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    ],
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/to-"
    ],
    [
      "*só",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/só"
    ],
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      "da",
      "da#German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "Then; thereupon."
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
adv

Nonstandard spelling of though.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Simplified reform spelling. Popular in American English in the earlier 20th century. Like thru, it failed to establish itself fully, but remains in informal contexts or where brevity is needed. Compare tho'.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "adv",
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        "Nonstandard spelling of though."
      ],
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for tho →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-dGhv