Where does “tom” come from?

tom (Middle English) comes from Old English tōm, from Proto-Germanic tōmaz, from Proto-Indo-European doma- — to tame.

tom (Middle English): Alternative form of tome; Alternative form of...

Definitions

  1. Alternative form of tome; Alternative form of...

Ancestry of “tom”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Englishtōmempty
2Proto-Germanictōmazfree, clear, empty, unoccupied
3Proto-Indo-Europeandoma-to tame
Every word from Proto-Indo-European doma- →Every word from Proto-Germanic tōmaz →Every word from Old English tōm →