Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tard” come from?

Tard is not attested in Middle English retarden; the word cannot be traced through available etymological evidence.

tard (English): A person with mental retardation; A person who...

Definitions

  1. A person with mental retardation; A person who...

Ancestry of “tard”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishretardRetardation; delay; A slowing down of the tempo;...
2Old Frenchretarderto retard; to delay; to make late
3LatinretardoI hinder, delay, detain, impede or retard
4Latinrĕ-—
5Latinprōdūcō—
6Latinprō-—
7Proto-Italic*pro-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpro-toward, forward
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpor-to give birth; forward, through; going, passage
10Proto-Indo-Europeanper-before, in front; first; to go through
11Proto-Indo-Europeanpr̥tóspassed , crossed

Words derived from “tard”

  • tardlet
  • tardface
  • tardbrain
  • tardling
  • tardish
Every word from Proto-Indo-European pr̥tós →