English
Tanna
Tanna comes from Kwamera tana ‘earth’, and goes back to Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tanəq.
- Proto-Malayo-Polynesianprehistoric (reconstructed)*tanəq‘earth, soil’reconstructed
- Kwameramoderntana‘earth’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006Tanna
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Malayo-Polynesianprehistoric (reconstructed)*tanəq‘earth, soil’reconstructed
- Kwameramoderntana‘earth’
- Englishearliest quotation 2006Tanna
Earliest quotation: 2006, Ted Freeman, Doctor in Vanuatu: “The next mission station for us to visit was…”
The story
Named by British explorer James Cook in 1774, said to be from Kwamera tana (‘earth’), ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tanəq (‘earth, soil’).
Every English word from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tanəq
Another origin of Tanna
- Aramaicc. 1000 BCE–700 CEתנא‘to repeat’
- Hebrew1880s–presentתַּנָּאtannā‘one of the Tannaim, sages of the Mishnah’
- EnglishtodayTanna
Today it means
name An island of Tafea, Vanuatu.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tanəq / Tanna