Etymology Explorer › Old English

Where does “tan” come from?

tan (Old English) comes from Proto-West Germanic *tain, from Proto-Germanic tainaz, from Proto-Indo-European doynos.

tan (Old English): sprig, twig; twig, switch

Definitions

  1. sprig, twig; twig, switch

Ancestry of “tan”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Proto-West Germanic*tain—
2Proto-Germanictainazrod; twig; straw; lot
3Proto-Indo-Europeandoynos—

Words derived from “tan”

  • mistletoe
  • mistletoebird
  • mistletoed
  • mistelto
  • mistel-tō
  • mistil-tān
  • mistiltān
  • misteltān
Every word from Proto-Indo-European doynos →