Where does “terne” come from?
terne (English) comes from English tern, from Middle English terne, from Old French terne, from Latin ternas, from Latin terni, from Latin ter, from Latin terr, from Old Latin tris.
terne (English): An alloy coating made of lead and tin and used...
Definitions
- An alloy coating made of lead and tin and used...
Ancestry of “terne”, step by step
terne traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tern
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tern | Any of various sea birds of the family Sternidae... |
| 2 | Middle English | terne | — |
| 3 | Old French | terne | dull, dim |
| 4 | Latin | ternas | accusative feminine plural of terni |
| 5 | Latin | terni | three each; three at a time |
| 6 | Latin | ter | thrice |
| 7 | Latin | terr | — |
| 8 | Old Latin | tris | — |
| 9 | Proto-Italic | trēs | three |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | *tréyes | — |