Etymograph

English

tampon

Tampon comes from French tampon ‘plug, stopper’, and goes back to Proto-Germanic *tappô.

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tappô‘plug, tap’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*tappō‘stopper, plug’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400tape‘plug, bung, tap’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600tampon
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘plug, stopper’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1987same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tappô‘plug, tap’reconstructed
  2. Frankishc. 250–700*tappō‘stopper, plug’reconstructed
  3. Old Frenchc. 842–1400tape‘plug, bung, tap’
  4. Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600tampon
  5. Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form‘plug, stopper’
  6. Englishearliest quotation 1987same form

Earliest quotation: 1987, Amy C Lee Wong: “The only apparent difference between Playtex deodorant and nondeodorant…”

first attested First attested in 1848 (as stated in the etymology)

The story

First attested in 1848.

Linked words

through Proto-Germanic *tappô ‘plug, tap’

tap, tapas, 2 more

Today it means

noun A plug of cotton or other absorbent material inserted into a body cavity or wound to absorb fluid, especially one inserted in the vagina during menstruation.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Germanic *tappô / tampon

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