tawny

tawny · adjective, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)dʰnwos
2. Proto-Celtic · derived from*tannos“green oak”
3. Old French · derived fromtané
4. Anglo-Norman · derived fromtaune
5. Middle English · inherited fromtauni
6. English todaytawny

The adjective is derived from Middle English tauni, tawne (“having a brownish-orange colour”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman taune, tawné, and Old French tané, tanné, tanney (“of a tan colour”), an adjective use of the past participle of taner (“to turn hide into leather, tan”), from tan (“pulped oak bark used to tan leather, tanbark”), ultimately from Proto-Celtic *tannos (“green oak”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)dʰnwos, *(s)dʰonu (“fir”). The -aw- spelling (also -au- in Middle English) seems to have been due to the pronunciation of Old French tané. The verb is derived from the adjective. Cognates * Breton tann * Medieval Latin tannāre (“to dye a tawny color; to tan”) * Old Irish caerthann (“rowan”)

tawny · noun²

1. Old French · derived fromtané
2. Anglo-Norman · derived fromtawné
3. Middle English · inherited fromtauni
4. English todaytawny

From Middle English tauni, tawne (“brownish-orange colour; cloth of this colour; sweet beverage of this colour”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman tawné, and Old French tané, tanné, tanney (“tan colour; cloth of this colour”), from tané (verb): see further at etymology 1. Sense 2.1 (“Eurasian bullfinch”) is due to the brown colour of the female.

Words from the same roots