Where does “tan” come from?

tan (French) comes from French ton, from Old French ton, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

tan (French): pulped oak bark used in the tanning process

Definitions

  1. pulped oak bark used in the tanning process

Ancestry of “tan”, step by step

tan traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via French ton

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1FrenchtonYour, thy; Tone; Tone, shade
2Old Frenchtonyour
3LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
4Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
5Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
6Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
7Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

via French ta

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchtayour
2Old Frenchtayour
3Latintuainflection of tuus: ## nominative/vocative...
4Latintuusyour
5Proto-Italictowosyour
6Proto-Indo-Europeantúh₂you, thou

via Middle French tan

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchtan—
2Old Frenchtanpulped oak bark used in the tanning process
3Latintannumoak bark
4Gaulishtannos—
5Proto-Celtictannosgreen oak
6Proto-Indo-Europeandʰonufir

Words derived from “tan”

Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European tónos →Every word from Proto-Hellenic tónos →