Etymology Explorer › French

Where does “tonique” come from?

tonique (French) comes from Ancient Greek τονικός, from Ancient Greek τόνος, from Proto-Hellenic tónos, from Proto-Indo-European tónos, from Proto-Indo-European ten- — to stretch, to extend.

tonique (French): tonic; tonic, keynote

Definitions

  1. tonic; tonic, keynote

Ancestry of “tonique”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Ancient Greekτονικός—
2Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
3Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
4Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
5Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend

Words derived from “tonique”

  • hypertonique
  • hypotonique
  • toniquement
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →