Where does “tarmac” come from?
tarmac (Irish) comes from English tarmac, from English tarmacadam, from English tar, from Middle English ter, from Old English teoru, from Old English teru, from Proto-Germanic terwą, from Pre-Germanic derwom — hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree.
tarmac (Irish): tarmac
Ancestry of “tarmac”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | English | tarmac | Tarmacadam; Any bituminous road surfacing... |
| 2 | English | tarmacadam | A mixture of tar and small stones used in paving;... |
| 3 | English | tar | A black, oily, sticky, viscous substance,... |
| 4 | Middle English | ter | Tar or a similar substance; Alternative form of... |
| 5 | Old English | teoru | Alternative spelling of teru |
| 6 | Old English | teru | tar, resin; earwax |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | terwą | tar |
| 8 | Pre-Germanic | derwom | — |
| 9 | English | doru | Alternative form of dory |
| 10 | Ancient Greek | δόρυ | wood, tree, stem; spear shaft, spear, lance,... |
| 11 | Proto-Hellenic | dóru | tree |
| 12 | Proto-Indo-European | dóru | tree |
| 13 | Proto-Indo-European | drew- | hard, firm, strong, solid; hard, fast; tree |