An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Thür

by Friedrich Kluge

Thür, f., ‘door,’ from the equiv. MidHG. tür, OHG. turi, f.; properly a plur. form, the idea being often expressed by such a form; in OHG. we find turi as plur. with a sing. meaning (the stem was really dur-). Corresponding to OSax. duri (dura), Du. deur, AS. duru (dyre); OIc. dyrr is plur. only. The common Aryan stem dhur (dhwer) recurs in Gr. θύρα, θύρετρον, ‘door,’ to which θαιρός, ‘hinge of a door,’ and θυρών, ‘vestibule’ (comp. Goth. daurôns, plur. only, ‘door’), are allied; Lat. fores, ‘door,’ OSlov. dvĭrĭ, ‘door’ (dvorŭ, ‘court’), Lith. dùrys, ‘door.’ To these are allied the equiv. Sans. dur, dvâr, which in the oldest period was inflected only in the dual or plur. (the initial aspirate is dropped, because the case suffix begins with an aspirate). The primary meaning of this word, which has invariably the ModHG. signification, cannot be discovered. Allied to Thor.