Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tomb” come from?

Tomb comes from Middle English tombe, from Old French tombe, from Latin tumba, from Ancient Greek τύμβος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European tūm- meaning a mound or swelling.

tomb (English): A small building for the remains of the dead,...

Definitions

  1. A small building for the remains of the dead,...

Ancestry of “tomb”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchtombépast participle of tomber
2Italiantombatomb, grave; A very narrow and gloomy habitation...
3Spanishtumbagrave, tomb
4Latintumbatomb
5Ancient Greekτύμβοςfuneral mound, tomb, grave
6Proto-Indo-Europeantūm-to grow; to swell, to increase; to swell, be...
7Proto-Indo-Europeantewh₂-to swell; to crowd; to be strong

Words derived from “tomb”

  • tombstone
  • tomblike
  • tombless
  • tombstoning
  • untomb
  • tombal
  • tombstoner
  • tombic
  • tomboŝtono
  • tomboskribo
  • amastombejo
  • tombejo
  • tombo
  • entombigi
  • tuama
  • tombo
  • tombeyo
Every word from Proto-Indo-European tewh₂- →