Where does “tainting” come from?
Tainting comes from Middle English taynt, derived from Middle English atteynt, which stems from Latin tinctum and tinctus, past participles of Latin tingo meaning to dip or color, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European teng-.
tainting (English): present participle of taint
Definitions
- present participle of taint
Ancestry of “tainting”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | taint | A contamination, decay or putrefaction,... |
| 2 | Middle French | teint | — |
| 3 | Old French | teint | — |
| 4 | Latin | tinctum | nominative neuter singular of tīnctus; accusative... |
| 5 | Latin | tinctus | impregnated with; dipped in; treated; coloured,... |
| 6 | Latin | tingō | to wet, moisten, dip in, impregnate with; to smear; to dip, immerse |
| 7 | Latin | tingere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | teng- | to think |