Where does “tong” come from?
tong (Malay) comes from Dutch ton, from Middle Dutch tonne, from Latin tunna, from Proto-Celtic tondā, from Proto-Indo-European tend-, from Proto-Indo-European temh₂- — to stretch, string; to cut.
tong (Malay): barrel, tub, bin; ton
Definitions
- barrel, tub, bin; ton
Ancestry of “tong”, step by step
tong traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Dutch ton
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dutch | ton | barrel; ton; 100,000 of some monetary unit,... |
| 2 | Middle Dutch | tonne | — |
| 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 |
via Chinese 桶
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chinese | 桶 | — |