*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of thole

From Middle English thōle, from tholen, tholien, from Old English þolian, from Proto-West Germanic *þolēn, from Proto-Germanic *þulāną (“to suffer”), from Proto-Indo-European *telh₂- (“to bear, suffer; to support”), comp

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 ↗
verb

To suffer. · To endure, to put up with, to tolerate.

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

From Middle English thōle, from tholen, tholien, from Old English þolian, from Proto-West Germanic *þolēn, from Proto-Germanic *þulāną (“to suffer”), from Proto-Indo-European *telh₂- (“to bear, suffer; to support”), compare Norwegian Bokmål tåle.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "root",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*telh₂- (bear)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "thole",
        "4": "thōle"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English thōle"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "þolian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English þolian"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*þolēn"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *þolēn"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*þulāną",
        "t": "to suffer"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *þulāną (“to suffer”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*telh₂-",
        "t": "to bear, suffer; to support"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *telh₂- (“to bear, suffer; to support”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nb",
        "2": "tåle"
      },
      "expansion": "Norwegian Bokmål tåle"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "thōle",
      "thole#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "tholen",
      "tholen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "tholien",
      "þolien#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "þolian",
      "þolian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*þolēn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/þolēn"
    ],
    [
      "*þulāną",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/þulāną"
    ],
    [
      "*telh₂-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/telh₂-"
    ],
    [
      "tåle",
      "tåle#Norwegian_Bokmål"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To suffer.",
        "To endure, to put up with, to tolerate."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "dated",
        "intransitive",
        "Northern-England",
        "Northern-Ireland",
        "Scotland",
        "transitive"
      ],
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 475176
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A pin in the side of a boat which acts as a fulcrum for the oars. · A pin, or handle, of the snath (shaft) of a scythe.

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

From Middle English thō̆le (“a peg”), from Old English þol, þoll (“oar-pin, rowlock; thole”), from Proto-West Germanic *þoll, from Proto-Germanic *þullaz, *þullō (“beam; thole”), from Proto-Indo-European *tūl-, *twel- (“bush; sphere”). The word is cognate with Danish told (“thole”), Dutch dol (“thole; oarlock”), Low German Doll (“thole; oarlock”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

  • Inherited-form mentiontholeenm
  • Inherited-form mentionþolang
  • Inherited-form mention*þollgmw-pro
  • Inherited-form mention*þullazgem-pro
  • Derivation mention*tūl-ine-pro
  • Cognate mentiontoldda · thole
  • Cognate mentiondolnl · thole; oarlock
  • Cognate mentionDollnds · thole; oarlock
Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "thole",
        "4": "thō̆le",
        "5": "a peg"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English thō̆le (“a peg”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "þol"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English þol"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*þoll"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *þoll"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gem-pro",
        "3": "*þullaz"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Germanic *þullaz"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*tūl-"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *tūl-"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "da",
        "2": "told",
        "t": "thole"
      },
      "expansion": "Danish told (“thole”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "dol",
        "t": "thole; oarlock"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch dol (“thole; oarlock”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nds",
        "2": "Doll",
        "t": "thole; oarlock"
      },
      "expansion": "Low German Doll (“thole; oarlock”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "thō̆le",
      "thole#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "þol",
      "þol#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "þoll",
      "þoll#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*þoll",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/þoll"
    ],
    [
      "*þullaz",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/þullaz"
    ],
    [
      "*þullō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Germanic/þullō"
    ],
    [
      "*tūl-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/tūl-"
    ],
    [
      "*twel-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/twel-"
    ],
    [
      "told",
      "told#Danish"
    ],
    [
      "dol",
      "dol#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Doll",
      "Doll#Low_German"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A pin in the side of a boat which acts as a fulcrum for the oars.",
        "A pin, or handle, of the snath (shaft) of a scythe."
      ],
      "tags": [],
      "recordId": "629831fc9aadaef5dd74483c61f876eae9bddeeb95b768262af0720372b45ab3",
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

A cupola, a dome, a rotunda; a tholus.

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

Anglicization of Latin tholus (“cupola, dome, rotunda”), from Ancient Greek θόλος (thólos, “dome, vault”), further etymology uncertain but possibly cognate with θᾰ́λᾰμος (thắlămos, “bedroom; inner chamber”) and/or English dale. Doublet of tholus and tholos.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inspect preserved source fields

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

{
  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "glossary",
      "args": {
        "1": "Anglicization"
      },
      "expansion": "Anglicization"
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "tholus",
        "4": "",
        "5": "cupola, dome, rotunda"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin tholus (“cupola, dome, rotunda”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "θόλος",
        "4": "",
        "5": "dome, vault"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek θόλος (thólos, “dome, vault”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "m+",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "dale"
      },
      "expansion": "English dale"
    },
    {
      "name": "dbt",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tholus",
        "3": "tholos"
      },
      "expansion": "Doublet of tholus and tholos"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tholus",
      "tholus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "θόλος",
      "θόλος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "θᾰ́λᾰμος",
      "θάλαμος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "dale",
      "dale#English"
    ],
    [
      "tholus",
      "tholus#English"
    ],
    [
      "tholos",
      "tholos#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "A cupola, a dome, a rotunda; a tholus."
      ],
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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.

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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-dGhvbGU