Where does “timbre” come from?
Timbre comes from French timbre, from Ancient Greek τύμπανον (a drum), from Latin tympanum, from Ancient Greek τύμπανον, from the verb τύπτω (to strike), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European (s)tewp-.
timbre (English): The quality of a sound independent of its pitch...
Definitions
- The quality of a sound independent of its pitch...
Ancestry of “timbre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | timbre | small bell; stamp, postage stamp; stamp |
| 2 | Old French | timbre | timbrel |
| 3 | Latin | tympanum | drum, timbrel, tambour, tambourine |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τύμπανον | drum, kettledrum; drumstick, staff, cudgel;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τύπτω | to beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewp- | to push, to stick |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tew- | to push, to hit |