The word 'towpath' is a transparent compound from two native English elements. The first element, 'tow', descends from the Old English verb togian, meaning to drag or pull, which is related to the act of drawing a vessel through water. The second element, 'path', comes from Old English pæþ, denoting a track or way made for walking. The compound logically formed in the early modern period to name the specific track running alongside a canal or river where a horse or a team of people would walk to pull a barge, literally a 'path for towing'. Its meaning remains directly tied to this original, practical function.

Structure: tow (to pull) + path (a way or track) - tow: From Old English togian (to drag, pull), of Germanic origin. Functional role: The action performed from the path. - path: From Old English pæþ (a track, way), of Germanic origin. Functional role: The physical track or way itself.