Where does “tent” come from?

Tent derives from Spanish tinto through Latin tinctus, the past participle of tingo meaning to dye or color, ultimately from the root tentare and ad-.

tent (English): A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins,...

Definitions

  1. A pavilion or portable lodge consisting of skins,...

Ancestry of “tent”, step by step

tent traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English tent

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtentattention
2Middle Englishattentattention
3Old Frenchatenteattention, intention
4Latinattentasecond-person singular present active imperative...
5Latinattenderethird-person plural perfect active indicative of...
6LatinattendoI pay attention, attend; I direct or turn toward
7Latinad-to; usually prefixed to verbs, in which cases it...
8Latinīn-un-, non-, not
9Latinînin, at, on, upon, from (space)
10Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
11Proto-Italicenin
12Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin

via Spanish tinto

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Spanishtintodark red; red wine; past participle of teñir
2Latintinctusimpregnated with; dipped in; treated; coloured,...
3Latintingōto wet, moisten, dip in, impregnate with; to smear; to dip, immerse
4Latintingeresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
5Proto-Indo-Europeanteng-to think

Words derived from “tent

Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₁én
tent — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer