Where does “tunnel” come from?
Tunnel comes from Middle French tonnelle, derived from French tonne, from Latin tunna, from Proto-Celtic tunna, originally denoting a large cask or barrel.
tunnel (English): An underground or underwater passage; A passage...
Definitions
- An underground or underwater passage; A passage...
Ancestry of “tunnel”, step by step
tunnel traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.
via French tonnelle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | tonnelle | arbour |
| 2 | French | tonne | tonne, metric ton; ton; first-person singular... |
| 3 | Latin | tunna | tun, box |
| 4 | Proto-Celtic | tondā | skin; surface, skin |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | tend- | to stretch, to extend; to split, cut off |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | temh₂- | to stretch, string; to cut |