Where does “tone” come from?
Tone comes from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, derived from the verb τείνω meaning "to stretch," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten-.
tone (English): A specific pitch; An interval of a major second;...
Definitions
- A specific pitch; An interval of a major second;...
Ancestry of “tone”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tone | the one |
| 2 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 4 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |