Etymology Map
Back to all words

Tether

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means a rope or chain tying an animal to a spot

Where does the word "tether" come from? It comes from Old Norse tjóðr, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
tjóðr
Old Norse · medieval
"tether"
a tether for grazing animals
2
Stage 2 of 3
tethir
Middle English · 1300s
"tether"
borrowed in the north of England
3
Stage 3 of 3
tether
English · 1500s
"restraining rope"
'at the end of one's tether' dates from the 1700s
Drag to pan · scroll to zoom
Read the full story

Tether’s story begins in Old Norse: tjóðr meant “tether.” A tether for grazing animals. By 1300s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as tethir. Borrowed in the north of England. It reached English by 1500s as tether. 'at the end of one's tether' dates from the 1700s. Today, tether means a rope or chain tying an animal to a spot.