Etymograph

English

tocsin

Tocsin comes from Old French toquesain, and goes back to Old Occitan tocasenh.

  1. Old Occitanc. 950–1500tocasenh1
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400toquesain1
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1804tocsin1

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, English tocsin
  2. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1804, The Times: “At half-past one, on the sounding of the tocsin…”.

Lineage

  1. Old Occitanc. 950–1500tocasenhWiktionary, English tocsin
  2. Old Frenchc. 842–1400toquesainWiktionary, English tocsin
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1804tocsinWiktionary, English tocsin. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1804, The Times: “At half-past one, on the sounding of the tocsin…”

Every English word from Old Occitan tocasenh

Today it means

noun An alarm or other signal sounded by a bell or bells, originally especially with reference to France.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “tocsin”. By Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org (dump of Oct 3 2026); text adapted and restructured. Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word. License.

Etymograph / Old Occitan tocasenh / tocsin

Shirt and support for this word