Etymologically
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tingo

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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
  • 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