English
Motown
Blend of motor + town; see Motor City.
Proto-Indo-European *m(y)ewh₁- ‘to move’
…
Proto-Italic *moweō ‘to move’
Latin moveō ‘to move’
Latin mōtor ‘mover’
Middle English motour ‘controller’
English motor
Proto-Celtic *dūnom ‘stronghold, rampart’
Proto-Germanic *tūną ‘fence, enclosure’
Proto-West Germanic *tūn ‘fence’
Old English tūn ‘an enclosed piece of ground’
Middle English toun ‘a town or city’
English town
The story
Blend of motor + town; see Motor City. The poker slang comes from jacks and fives sounding similar to Jackson 5, associated with Motown popular music.
Today it means
name Detroit.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Motown