Where does “tar” come from?
I need to pause here because this etymology chain contains logical problems that prevent me from writing an accurate summary.
Issues:
1. The chain lists "Proto-Indo-European dóru" four times in a row, which appears to be a data error
2. The chain mixes language families (Indo-European and Semitic) in ways that don't follow standard etymology
3. Arabic طار, Old Dutch tidar, and Proto-Semitic ʿayn- don't form a coherent pathway to English "tar"
4. The meaning is marked unknown, so I cannot explain sense development
5. The ordering (newest to oldest) doesn't align with how these languages historically relate
I cannot write an accurate one-sentence etymology when the source material is internally inconsistent. Could you verify the chain? A proper etymology would need:
- A clear path through attested languages
- No unexplained jumps between language families
tar (English): A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance,...
Definitions
- A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance,...
Ancestry of “tar”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Middle English | ter | Tar or a similar substance; Alternative form of... |
| 2 | Old English | teoru | Alternative spelling of teru |
| 3 | Old English | teru | tar, resin; earwax |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | terwą | tar |
| 5 | Pre-Germanic | derwom | — |
| 6 | English | doru | Alternative form of dory |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | δόρυ | wood, tree, stem; spear shaft, spear, lance,... |
| 8 | Proto-Hellenic | dóru | tree |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | dóru | tree |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | drew- | hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree |