Where does “tonic” come from?
Tonic derives from English tonic, from Ancient Greek τονικός, from τόνος meaning "stretching" or "tension," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten- meaning "to stretch."
tonic (English): Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles;...
Definitions
- Pertaining to tension, especially of muscles;...
Ancestry of “tonic”, step by step
tonic 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 |