English
taction
Taction comes from Latin tactio ‘touching’, from tactus ‘sense of feeling’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- ‘to touch’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*teh₂g-‘to touch’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tangō‘to touch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtangōas tangere‘to touch, feel’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtactus‘sense of feeling’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtactio‘touching’
- Englishearliest quotation 1726taction
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*teh₂g-‘to touch’reconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tangō‘to touch’reconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtangōas tangere‘to touch, feel’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtactus‘sense of feeling’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtactio‘touching’
- Englishearliest quotation 1726taction
Earliest quotation: 1726, Jonathan Swift, The Humours and Dispositions of the Laputians Described. […]: “It ſeems, the Minds of theſe People are ſo…”
The story
Latin tactio (‘touching’), from perfect passive participle tactus (‘sense of feeling’), from tangere (‘to touch, feel’) + action suffix -io; see tact and -ion.
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- ‘to touch’
taste, integrity, integrate, attain, taxis, taxonomy, tama, contaminate, talon, contagion, ataxia, talus, thwack, 30 more
through Proto-Italic *tangō ‘to touch’
through Latin tangō ‘to touch, feel’
contact, tangible, contingent, tame, tangent, contiguous, 10 more
through Latin tactus ‘sense of feeling’
Today it means
noun The act of touching; touch; contact.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *teh₂g- / taction