Etymograph

English

intonation

Intonation comes from French intonation ‘intonation (all senses)’, from Latin intonō ‘to thunder’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂-.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)tenh₂-‘to thunder’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)tonh₂éyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tonaōreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtonō‘to thunder’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEintonō‘to thunder’
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500intonatio
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentintonation‘intonation (all senses)’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1805same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)tenh₂-‘to thunder’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*(s)tonh₂éyetireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tonaōreconstructed
  4. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtonō‘to thunder’
  5. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEintonō‘to thunder’
  6. Medieval Latinc. 600–1500intonatio
  7. Frenchc. 1600–presentintonation‘intonation (all senses)’
  8. Englishearliest quotation 1805same form

Earliest quotation: 1805, Titus Lucretius Carus: “This additional cause of the intonation of thunder, together…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂- ‘to thunder’

thunder, donner, 9 more

through Latin tonō ‘to thunder’

tornado, stun, detonate, detonation, astonish, 6 more

Today it means

noun The rise and fall of the voice in speaking.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *(s)tenh₂- / intonation

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