Where does “megatonne” come from?
megatonne (English) comes from English tonne, from German Tonne, from Middle High German tunne, from Old High German tunna, from Latin tunna, from Proto-Celtic tondā, from Proto-Indo-European tend-, from Proto-Indo-European temh₂- — to stretch, string; to cut.
Ancestry of “megatonne”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tonne | A metric unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms.... |
| 2 | German | Tonne | barrel, vat, tun, drum; tonne, ton, metric ton;... |
| 3 | Middle High German | tunne | — |
| 4 | Old High German | tunna | — |
| 5 | Latin | tunna | tun, box |
| 6 | Proto-Celtic | tondā | skin; surface, skin |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tend- | to stretch, to extend; to split, cut off |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | temh₂- | to stretch, string; to cut |