tingo

Pronunciation

• IPA (Classical): [ˈtɪŋ.ɡoː]^[1]
• IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈtiŋ.ɡo]^[1]

Forms

tingō (present infinitive tingere, perfect active tīnxī, supine tīnctum); third conjugation^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Proto-Italic *tengō, inherited from Proto-Indo-European *teng- (“to make wet”).^[2][1] The variant tinguō arose by analogy with unguō “to anoint”.^[2] Cognate with Ancient Greek τέγγω (téngō, “to make wet”) and Old High German dunkōn (“to dip”).^[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

De Vaan dates it from Lucretius.^[2] Lucretius describes spears stained with the boars' own blood.^[3] Köbler dates Lucretius 96–55 BC.^[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to wet by dipping, as a smith quenches hot iron, to imbue with something by dipping, and to colour by soaking, to dye or stain, as Cicero's purple-dyed cloth.^[3] It was used of staining with blood, of light and colour tinging things, as clouds tinged by the sun in Lucretius, and figuratively of imbuing a speech with art or learning.^[3] Late Latin used it for “to baptize”.^[5]

It survives in Italian tingere, French teindre and Spanish teñir, and Old French teindre lies behind English taint.^[1][6] English tinge was taken from it directly in the late 15th century, and tīnctūra gave English tincture about 1400.^[6]

Timeline

• 96–55 BC – Lucretius speaks of spears stained with blood.^[3][4]
• 81–43 BC – Cicero speaks of purple-dyed cloth.^[3][4]
• c. 1400 – English tincture is recorded.^[6]
• late 15th century – English tinge is recorded.^[6]

Meanings

Verb

1. To wet, dip.^[3]
2. To imbue (by dipping).^[3]
3. To dye, stain, tint.^[3]
4. To stain (with blood).^[3]
5. (of light) To tinge.^[3]
6. (figurative) To imbue, colour.^[3]

Word family

• attinguo
• intinguō
• praetingō
• tīnctilis
• tīnctiō
• tinctor
• tīnctūra
• tinctus

Related words

• English tinge
• English tincture
• English taint

References

1. ^ a b c d e Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d de Vaan, Michiel (2008), Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages, Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series 7, Leiden; Boston: Brill
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. ^ a b c Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com