Where does “tartan” come from?
tartan (Scottish Gaelic) comes from English Tartan, from Middle English tartaryn, from Middle French tartarin, from Old French tiret, from Old French tire, from Latin tyrius, from Latin Tyrus, from Ancient Greek τυρός — to swell; to crowd; to be strong.
tartan (Scottish Gaelic): tartan
Definitions
- tartan
Ancestry of “tartan”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tartan | The commander-in-chief of ancient Assyria |
| 2 | Middle English | tartaryn | rich material |
| 3 | Middle French | tartarin | expensive silk cloth from the Tartar region |
| 4 | Old French | tiret | rich cloth; kind of cloth |
| 5 | Old French | tire | rank, sequence, order, kind; row; oriental cloth... |
| 6 | Latin | tyrius | Tyrian, of Tyre |
| 7 | Latin | Tyrus | Tyre |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | τυρός | cheese |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | tūrós | cheese |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | tuh₂-ró-s | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | tewh₂- | to swell; to crowd; to be strong |