Etymology

tarnish

T1A1R1N1I1S1H4

Today it means: Oxidation or discoloration, especially of a decorative metal exposed to air. Full definition →

Middle English ternysshen ← Old French terniss- ← Old High German *ternen
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The story

  1. Proto-West Germanic · derived from*darnijan“to conceal”
  2. Old High German · derived from*ternen
  3. Old French · derived fromterniss-
  4. Middle English · inherited fromternysshen
  5. English todaytarnish

From Middle English ternysshen, from Old French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dim, make wan”), borrowed from Old High German *ternen, tarnen, from Proto-West Germanic *darnijan (“to conceal”). Doublet of dern and darn.

Words from the same roots

Proto-West Germanic*darnijan all →

darndern

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.