English
towmaster
From tow + master.
Proto-Indo-European *dewk- ‘to draw, pull’
Proto-Germanic *tugōną ‘to draw, pull’
Proto-West Germanic *togōn ‘to pull, tow’
Old English togian ‘to tow’
Middle English towen
English tow
Proto-Indo-European *méǵh₂s ‘big’
Old Latin magester
Latin magister ‘chief’
Old English mǣster
Middle English maister ‘master’
English master
Today it means
noun One who is employed to manage the towing of a vessel.
Sources
Sources: Wiktionary, “towmaster”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.
Etymograph / towmaster