Where does “tattooing” come from?
Tattooing derives from English tattoo, borrowed from Samoan tatau, which traces through Dutch toe, Middle Dutch toe, Old Dutch tuo and thuo, to Proto-Indo-European de.
tattooing (English): The act of beating out a rhythm on a drum; The...
Definitions
- The act of beating out a rhythm on a drum; The...
Ancestry of “tattooing”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | tattoo | An image made in the skin with ink and a needle;... |
| 2 | English | tap-to | — |
| 3 | Dutch | taptoe | tattoo, military-style music parade; sign given... |
| 4 | Dutch | tap | tap |
| 5 | Middle Dutch | tappe | closing pin, stopper |
| 6 | Old Dutch | tappo | — |
| 7 | Frankish | tappō | — |
| 8 | Proto-Germanic | tappô | plug; tap |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂p- | to sacrifice; to lose |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | deh₂- | to share, divide |