Etymology Explorer › German

Where does “tōn” come from?

tōn (German) comes from Middle High German tōn, 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.

Ancestry of “tōn”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle High Germantōn—
2LatintonusThe stretching or straining of a rope; A strain;...
3Ancient Greekτόνοςrope, cord; chord; tone, note
4Proto-Hellenictónosrope, cord; tension
5Proto-Indo-Europeantónossomething stretched; chord, fiber, string
6Proto-Indo-Europeanten-to stretch, to extend
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ten- →