Where does “tartan” come from?
tartan (Danish) comes from English Tartan, from Middle English tartaryn, from Middle French tartarin, from Old French tiret, from Old French tire, from Latin tyrius, from Latin Tyrus, from Ancient Greek τυρός — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
tartan (Danish): tartan woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern
Definitions
- tartan woollen cloth with a distinctive pattern
Ancestry of “tartan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tartan | The commander-in-chief of ancient Assyria |
| 2 | Middle English | tartaryn | rich material |
| 3 | Middle French | tartarin | expensive silk cloth from the Tartar region |
| 4 | Old French | tiret | rich cloth; kind of cloth |
| 5 | Old French | tire | rank, sequence, order, kind; row; oriental cloth... |
| 6 | Latin | tyrius | Tyrian, of Tyre |
| 7 | Latin | Tyrus | Tyre |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | τυρός | cheese |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | tūrós | cheese |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tuh₂-ró-s | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |