Where does “tonal” come from?
Tonal derives from English tone, which comes from Ancient Greek τόνος, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten-, meaning to stretch or extend.
tonal (English): Of or relating to tones or tonality; Of or...
Definitions
- Of or relating to tones or tonality; Of or...
Ancestry of “tonal”, step by step
tonal traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English tone
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tone | A specific pitch; An interval of a major second;... |
| 2 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 3 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 5 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |
via Nahuatl tōnalli
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nahuatl | tōnalli | — |