tong (Dutch)
Where does "tong" come from?
The Dutch noun 'tong' descends through a long chain of Germanic languages, originating from Middle Dutch 'tonge'[1][3] and Old Dutch 'tunga'[1][2][3]. These forms trace back further to Proto-West Germanic '*tungā'[1][2][5] and Proto-Germanic '*tungǭ'[1][2][3][4], which ultimately derive from Proto-Indo-European '*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s' meaning 'tongue'[1][2][3][4]. The fish sense of the word, referring to 'Solea solea', likely developed due to the flat fish resemblance to a tongue[1].
Open questions
- The ancestral Proto-Indo-European form '*dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s' is a reconstructed proto-form rather than a directly attested ancient word. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Full etymology tree
- tong (Dutch), 'tongue'
- inherited tonge (Middle Dutch), 'tongue'
- inherited tunga (Old Dutch), 'tongue'
- inherited *tungā (Proto-West Germanic), 'tongue'
- inherited *tungǭ (Proto-Germanic), 'tongue'
- inherited *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (Proto-Indo-European), 'tongue'
- inherited *tungǭ (Proto-Germanic), 'tongue'
- inherited *tungā (Proto-West Germanic), 'tongue'
- inherited tunga (Old Dutch), 'tongue'
- inherited tonge (Middle Dutch), 'tongue'
Ancestors
- tonge (Middle Dutch)
- tunga (Old Dutch)
- *tungā (Proto-West Germanic)
- *tungǭ (Proto-Germanic)
- *dn̥ǵʰwéh₂s (Proto-Indo-European)
Descendants and derived words
- tong (Afrikaans)
- addertong (Dutch)
- het achterste van zijn tong laten zien (Dutch)
- ossentong (Dutch)
- roltong (Dutch)
- tongelen (Dutch)
- tongen (Dutch)
- tongen (Dutch)
- tongvaren (Dutch)
- tongo (Sranan Tongo)
Sources
- tong (Dutch) - Wiktionary
- tunga (Old Dutch) - Wiktionary
- tonge (Middle Dutch) - Wiktionary
- tungǭ (Proto-Germanic) - Wiktionary
- tungā (Proto-West Germanic) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris