Where does “tom-tom” come from?
tom-tom (English) comes from Hindi टमटम, from English tandem, from Latin tandem, from Latin tam, from Proto-Indo-European téh₂m, from Proto-Indo-European séh₂, from Proto-Indo-European só — this; that.
tom-tom (English): A small joined pair of drums, beaten with the...
Definitions
- A small joined pair of drums, beaten with the...
Ancestry of “tom-tom”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hindi | टमटम | one-horse open carriage with a pair of wheels |
| 2 | English | tandem | A carriage pulled by two or more draught animals (generally draught horses) harnessed one behind the other, both providing pulling power but only the animal in front being able to steer |
| 3 | Latin | tandem | at length, at last, finally, eventually |
| 4 | Latin | tam | so, so much, to such an extent, to such a degree |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | téh₂m | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | séh₂ | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | só | this; that |