Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “taint” come from?

Taint comes from Middle English taynt, from Middle English atteynt, from Latin tinctum and tinctus, past participles of Latin tingo meaning to dip or color, from Proto-Indo-European teng-.

taint (English): A contamination, decay or putrefaction,...

Definitions

  1. A contamination, decay or putrefaction,...

Ancestry of “taint”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchteint—
2Old Frenchteint—
3Latintinctumnominative neuter singular of tīnctus; accusative...
4Latintinctusimpregnated with; dipped in; treated; coloured,...
5Latintingō—
6Latintingeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
7Proto-Indo-Europeanteng-to think

Words derived from “taint”

  • tainting
  • taintless
  • tainteth
  • untaint
  • tainter
  • tainture
  • taintest
  • untaintable
  • untainting
  • taintlessly
  • taintworm
  • taintable
Every word from Proto-Indo-European teng- →