Etymograph

English

tune

Tune comes from Latin tonus ‘the pitch, sound or tone of something’, from Proto-Hellenic *tónos ‘rope, cord’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘stretch’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-1‘stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tón-os1reconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tónos1‘rope, cord’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτόνος2tónos‘a tone’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtonus2‘the pitch, sound or tone of something’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400ton2
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tune2
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1568tune2

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

  1. 1 Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνος
  2. 2 Wiktionary, English tune
  3. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1568, William Cornishe [i.e., William Cornysh]: “The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye…”.

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*ten-Wiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνος‘stretch’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tón-osWiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνοςreconstructed
  3. Proto-Hellenicc. 2200–1600 BCE*tónosWiktionary, Ancient Greek τόνος‘rope, cord’reconstructed
  4. Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEτόνοςWiktionary, English tunetónos‘a tone’
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtonusWiktionary, English tune‘the pitch, sound or tone of something’
  6. Old Frenchc. 842–1400tonWiktionary, English tune
  7. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tuneWiktionary, English tune
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1568tuneWiktionary, English tune. Earliest quotation in Wiktionary’s entry: 1568, William Cornishe [i.e., William Cornysh]: “The Harpe. […] A harper with his wreſt maye…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *ten- ‘stretch’

continue, content, entertainment, tight, maintenance, contain, obtain, tennis, continuous, retain, tender, detention, sustain, continent, retention, tenant, continuum, tenor, rein, tendon, detain, pertinent, tenacity, pristine, abstain, tenacious, sustenance, abstinence, pertain, tetanus, countenance, incontinence, tenet, retinue, tantra, tenement, abstention, tenable, tendinitis, retentive, 68 more

through Ancient Greek τόνος ‘a tone’

tonic, peritoneum, 12 more

through Latin tonus ‘the pitch, sound or tone of something’

ton, tone, 2 more

Today it means

noun A melody.

Sources

Sources: Wiktionary, “tune”; the older steps come from the Wiktionary entry for Ancient Greek τόνος. 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 / Proto-Indo-European *ten- / tune

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