Where does “tarpaulin” come from?
Tarpaulin derives from English tar and English appal, tracing through Latin ad- and Latin palus, with uncertain ultimate origins in Proto-Indo-European and Proto-Semitic roots.
tarpaulin (English): A tarp, a heavy, waterproof sheet of material,...
Definitions
- A tarp, a heavy, waterproof sheet of material,...
Ancestry of “tarpaulin”, step by step
tarpaulin traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English pall
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | pall | Senses relating to cloth; Senses relating to... |
| 2 | English | appal | Alternative spelling of appall |
| 3 | Hungarian | app | app, application |
| 4 | English | application | The act of applying or laying on, in a literal... |
| 5 | Middle English | applicacioun | — |
| 6 | Old French | aplicacion | application |
| 7 | Latin | applicātiō | application, inclination |
| 8 | Latin | -tiō | tion, -ation, -ing |
| 9 | Latin | dissertātiō | (spoken) dissertation, discourse, disquisition |
| 10 | Latin | dissertus | arranged, disposed; explained |
| 11 | Latin | disserere | second-person singular future passive indicative... |
| 12 | Latin | dis- | asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;... |
| 13 | Latin | calceus | shoe |
| 14 | Latin | calx | limestone; chalk; the finish line |
| 15 | Ancient Greek | χάλιξ | small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble |
via English tar
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tar | A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance,... |
| 2 | Middle English | ter | Tar or a similar substance; Alternative form of... |
| 3 | Old English | teoru | Alternative spelling of teru |
| 4 | Old English | teru | tar, resin; earwax |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | terwą | tar |
| 6 | Pre-Germanic | derwom | — |
| 7 | English | doru | Alternative form of dory |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | δόρυ | wood, tree, stem; spear shaft, spear, lance,... |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | dóru | tree |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | dóru | tree |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | drew- | hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree |