Where does “tunable” come from?
Tunable derives from English tune plus Middle English -able, from Old French -able, from Latin -abilis, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European ten- meaning to stretch, via Ancient Greek τείνω and τόνος.
tunable (English): Harmonious, melodic, tuneful; Able to be tuned; A...
Definitions
- Harmonious, melodic, tuneful; Able to be tuned; A...
Ancestry of “tunable”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | tune | A melody; A song, or short musical composition;... |
| 2 | Middle English | tune | Alternative form of toun |
| 3 | Old French | ton | your |
| 4 | Latin | tonus | The stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;... |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τόνος | rope, cord; chord; tone, note |
| 6 | Proto-Hellenic | tónos | rope, cord; tension |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | tónos | something stretched; chord, fiber, string |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | ten- | to stretch, to extend |