Where does “tangent” come from?

tangent (Danish) comes from Latin tangens, from Latin tangō, from Proto-Italic *tangō, from Proto-Indo-European denḱ- — to bite.

tangent (Danish): tangent; piano key

Definitions

  1. tangent; piano key

Ancestry of “tangent”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Latintangenstouching, grasping; reaching, arriving at;...
2Latintangōto touch, grasp
3Proto-Italic*tangō—
4Proto-Indo-Europeandenḱ-to bite
Every word from Proto-Indo-European denḱ- →Every word from Proto-Italic *tangō →Every word from Latin tangō →