Where does “timbre” come from?
timbre (Old French) comes from Latin tympanum, from Ancient Greek τύμπανον, from Ancient Greek τύπτω, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tewp-, from Proto-Indo-European (s)tew- — to push, to hit.
timbre (Old French): timbrel
Ancestry of “timbre”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Latin | tympanum | drum, timbrel, tambour, tambourine |
| 2 | Ancient Greek | τύμπανον | drum, kettledrum; drumstick, staff, cudgel;... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | τύπτω | to beat, strike, smite; to beat, strike oneself |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tewp- | to push, to stick |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)tew- | to push, to hit |
Words derived from “timbre”