tarnish etymology

Etymology:

  • Old French: ternir ("to tarnish, sully")
  • Vulgar Latin: ternire ("to tarnish, stain")
  • Latin: tergere ("to wipe, clean")

Meaning:

To become dull, discolored, or stained, especially due to exposure to air or moisture.

Origin:

The word "tarnish" comes from the Latin verb tergere, which means "to wipe" or "to clean." It originally referred to the process of cleaning or polishing a metal surface, but over time it came to be used more generally to describe any type of discoloration or staining.

The Vulgar Latin word ternire was a derivative of tergere, and it had a similar meaning. It was used to describe the dulling or staining of metal surfaces, as well as the fading of colors.

The Old French word ternir was borrowed from Vulgar Latin, and it retained the same meaning. It was used to describe the tarnishing of metals, the fading of colors, and the sullying of reputations.

The English word "tarnish" was borrowed from Old French in the 14th century. It initially had a similar meaning to its French counterpart, but over time it came to be used more specifically to describe the dulling or staining of metal surfaces.

tarnish relate terms

  • dern

    Etymology The word dern is derived from the Old English word dearn which means se

  • dark

    Etymology The word dark originates from the Proto Indo European root derḱ meaning

  • stain

    Etymology Latin tinctūra dyeing coloring Old French taincture Middle English ste

  • spot

    Etymology The word spot traces its origins back to Old English OE specifically to t

  • gold

    Etymology The word gold derives from the Old English word gold which is itself deriv

  • darken

    Etymology Darken comes from the Old English word deorc meaning dark obscure or evil

  • blot

    Etymology Middle English blott blot from Proto Germanic blōdaz meaning stain blo

  • bolt

    Etymology The word bolt comes from the Old English word bolt which means a short t

  • post

    Etymology From Middle English post from Anglo Norman and Old French post from Latin p

  • stop

    Etymology The word stop comes from the Middle English word stoppen which itself deri