Where does “tongue” come from?
Tongue comes from Middle English tung, from Old English tung, from Proto-West Germanic tungā, from Proto-Germanic tungǭ, from Proto-Indo-European dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s.
tongue (English): The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is...
Definitions
- The flexible muscular organ in the mouth that is...
Ancestry of “tongue”, step by step
tongue traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English tung
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tung | tongue; A tongue-shaped thing; language, speech,... |
| 2 | Old English | tung | — |
| 3 | Proto-West Germanic | tungā | tongue; speech, language |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | tungǭ | tongue; speech, language |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s | tongue |
via Middle English tonge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tonge | Alternative form of tung |
| 2 | Old Norse | tangi | tang, cape |
via Middle English tunge
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | tunge | — |