through
Moving in one side and out the other; from beginning to end.
Etymology
Modern English through comes from Old English þurh "through, throughout," from Proto-Germanic *þurhw, from PIE *terh₂- meaning "to cross over, to pass through, to overcome." The same root produced Latin trāns "across" (giving English trans-, transfer, translate, tradition), and Sanskrit tiráti "crosses over." The Germanic branch shows Gothic þaírh and German durch as close relatives. The Old English þ (thorn) was pronounced like modern th, demonstrating how Grimm's Law transformed PIE *t- into Germanic *þ-. English derivatives include thorough (an archaic variant of through that became a separate word meaning "complete"), thrill (originally "to pierce through"), and nostril (from Old English nosþyrl — literally "nose-hole" or "nose-through"). The spelling through, with its silent -ough, is an artefact of Middle English scribal conventions.
The Journey: *terh₂- → through
*terh₂-
*þurhw
þurh
thurgh, through
through
Cognates Across Languages
These words in other languages descend from the same PIE root *terh₂-. They are not borrowings but independent inheritances from a common ancestor.
| Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Latin | trāns | across |
| Sanskrit | tiráti | crosses over |
| German | durch | through |
| Gothic | þaírh | through |
| Old Irish | tre | through |
Did You Know?
The word nostril literally means "nose-through-hole" — from Old English nosþyrl, where þyrl is from the same root as through. Meanwhile, thrill originally meant "to pierce through" before softening to mean an intense sensation. Both words conceal through inside them.