Where does “tan” come from?
tan (Middle Welsh) comes from Proto-Brythonic tan, from Proto-Celtic teɸnets, from Proto-Indo-European tep- — to be warm, be hot.
Ancestry of “tan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Brythonic | tan | under; fire |
| 2 | Proto-Celtic | teɸnets | fire |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | tep- | to be warm, be hot |