English
tissue
Tissue comes from Old French tissu ‘woven’, from tistre ‘to weave’, and ultimately from Proto-Italic *teksō.
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*teksōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtexō‘to weave’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tistre‘to weave’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400tissu‘woven’past participle of tistre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘tissue (silk fabric)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1627tissue
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*teksōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtexō‘to weave’
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400tistre‘to weave’
- Old French, derivedc. 842–1400tissu‘woven’past participle of tistre
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form‘tissue (silk fabric)’
- Englishearliest quotation 1627tissue
Earliest quotation: 1627, New Atlantis. A Worke Vnfinished.: “The Chariot was couered with Cloth of Gold tiſſued…”
Linked words
through Proto-Italic *teksō
texture, textile, pretext, 3 more
through Latin texō ‘to weave’
Today it means
noun Thin, woven, gauzelike fabric.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Italic *teksō / tissue