Where does “tack” come from?
Tack comes from Middle English tak and the suffix -en, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European deyḱ-, meaning to show or point.
tack (English): A small nail with a flat head; A thumbtack; A...
Definitions
- A small nail with a flat head; A thumbtack; A...
Ancestry of “tack”, step by step
tack traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French tache
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | tache | blot, stain or smear; spot; more or less... |
| 2 | Old French | tasche | duty; obligation |
| 3 | Frankish | taska | pouch |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taskǭ | bag, purse; pouch, pocket |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | das- | — |
| 6 | Translingual | da | — |
| 7 | English | deca- | Greek number... |
| 8 | French | déca- | deca- |
| 9 | Latin | decās | a decade (period of ten years) |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | δεκάς | the number ten; a group of ten, decade |
| 11 | Ancient Greek | -ᾰ́ς | group of |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | -ónts | Derives nouns denoting body parts |
| 13 | Hungarian | önt | to pour; to cast; accusative singular of ön |
| 14 | Hungarian | ön | you |
| 15 | Hungarian | ön- | self- |
via Middle English tak
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tak | A clasp; nail; A protective metal plate used on a... |
| 2 | Middle English | taken | to take; Alternative form of token; Alternative... |
| 3 | Old English | tācen | — |
| 4 | Old Norse | tekinn | past participle of taka; take, took, taken |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | tēkanaz | — |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | tēkaną | to touch; to grasp |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₁g- | to touch |