Etymology Map
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Thwart

3 stages from Old Norse to English.

Today it means to prevent someone from accomplishing something

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

1
Stage 1 of 3
þvert
Old Norse · medieval
"across, crosswise"
neuter form of 'þverr', transverse, lying across
2
Stage 2 of 3
thwert
Middle English · 1200s
"crosswise"
used as an adverb for lying across something; the plank seat across a rowing boat is still a 'thwart'
3
Stage 3 of 3
thwart
English · 1500s
"to prevent, obstruct"
the verb sense came from placing something across someone's path
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Read the full story

Thwart’s story begins in Old Norse: þvert meant “across, crosswise.” Neuter form of 'þverr', transverse, lying across. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as thwert. Used as an adverb for lying across something; the plank seat across a rowing boat is still a 'thwart'. It reached English by 1500s as thwart. The verb sense came from placing something across someone's path. Today, thwart means to prevent someone from accomplishing something.