Etymograph

English

hardtack

From hard + tack.

A compound of hard + tack

Proto-Germanic *harduz

Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī)

Old English heard ‘hard’

Middle English hard

English hard

Middle English tak

English tack

Today it means

noun A large, hard biscuit made from unleavened flour and water; formerly used as a long-term staple food aboard ships.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / hardtack