threshold etymology

Etymology:

• Old English "therscwald" (doorsill, threshold)
• From Proto-Germanic "*threskōwaldaz"
• Ultimately derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*tʰer-" (to cross, to pass through)

Meaning and Origin:

A threshold is the strip of wood or metal at the bottom of a door or doorway that one steps over to enter or leave. Originally, it referred to the sill of a door, the horizontal beam at the bottom that supported the door frame.

The word's etymology reflects its function as a boundary between two spaces:

• "*theres-" denotes crossing, passing through
• "-w(a)ld-" means "forest" or "wild," suggesting an undeveloped, uncultivated area
• "-az" is a suffix denoting a place or location

Thus, the original meaning of "theres-w(a)ld-az" was "a place of crossing in or out of a wild area." This evolved into the modern sense of a threshold as a transition zone between indoors and outdoors, or between different levels or states.

Usage:

In addition to its literal meaning, "threshold" can also be used figuratively to refer to:

• A point of demarcation or transition
• A stage of development or accomplishment
• A limit or boundary that must be crossed

threshold relate terms

• hold

  Etymology Old English healdan Proto West Germanic haldan Proto Germanic haldaną P

• behold

  Etymology Origin Old English behaldan from Proto Germanic bihanthaldiz derived fr

• beholden

  Etymology Old English behalden meaning to hold in regard Old English be intens

• thresh

  Etymology The word thresh derives from the Old English þerscan meaning to beat or

• thrash

  Etymology The word thrash is thought to have originated from Old English threscan

• wright

  Etymology The word wright originates from the Old English word wyrhta which means c

• attorn

  Etymology The word attorn derives from the Anglo Norman French attorner meaning to

• attorney

  Etymology The word attorney originates from the Middle English word attourne which

• attrition

  Etymology The word attrition is derived from the Latin word attritio which means ru

• contour

  Etymology French contour outline from Old French contor circuit from Late Latin c

• contrite

  Etymology Latin contritus past participle of conterere to rub together crush grind

• detour

  Etymology French détour from Old French destorner to turn away Vulgar Latin di

• detriment

  Etymology From Middle French détriment from Latin dētrīmentum diminution loss d

• diatribe

  Etymology Latin diatriba from Greek διατριβή diatribē Meaning A bitt

• drill

  Etymology The word drill derives from the Middle English word dryllen meaning to pi

• lithotripsy

  Etymology Lithotripsy comes from the Greek words Lithos λίθος meaning stone T

• septentrion

  Etymology The word septentrion comes from the Latin word septentriō which in turn c

• thrash

  Etymology The word thrash is thought to have originated from Old English threscan

• thread

  Etymology The word thread traces its origins back to the Old English word thræd whi

• thresh

  Etymology The word thresh derives from the Old English þerscan meaning to beat or

• throw

  Etymology Old English thragan Proto Germanic þragjaną Proto Indo European d

• threshold

  Etymology Old English therscwald doorsill threshold From Proto Germanic threskō

• trauma

  Etymology The word trauma comes from the Greek word τραῦμα trauma which mea

• trepan

  Etymology Origin Greek trypanon borer drill auger Suffix an forming nouns den

• tribology

  Etymology Tribology is derived from the Greek words tribos τριβος meaning ru

• tribulation

  Etymology From Late Latin tribulationem oppression trouble from Latin tribulum

• trite

  Etymology and Origin The word trite comes from the Latin word tritus which means ru

• triticale

  Etymology The word triticale is a portmanteau of the genus names Triticum wheat and S

• triturate

  Etymology Latin trīturāre tritūrātum from trītus past participle of terere to

• trout

  Trout Etymology and Origin The word trout is derived from the Middle English term tro

• trypsin

  Etymology and Meaning of Trypsin Etymology Trypsin derives its name from two Greek word

• tryptophan

  Etymology and Meaning The word tryptophan is derived from the Greek words trypto mea

• turn

  Etymology The word turn comes from the Old English word turnian meaning to cause to

• verge

  Etymology The word verge has several etymologies Latin virga a rod twig vir

• door

  Etymology The word door comes from the Old English word dor pronounced door whi

• lintel

  Etymology The word lintel originates from the Middle English word lyntal which deri

• subliminal

  Etymology The word subliminal originates from two Latin words Sub meaning below

• eliminate

  Word Etymology Meaning Origin Abate Middle English from O

• limit

  Etymology The word limit comes from the Latin word limes which originally meant bou

• preliminary

  Etymology preliminary adjective from Latin prae before liminaris threshold M

• case

  Etymology The word case derives from the Old French word cas which in turn comes fro

• bound

  Etymology Old English bindan Proto Germanic bindaną Meaning To tie fasten

• odor

  Etymology The word odor comes from the Latin word odor which means scent or smel