Etymograph

English

tonsure

Tonsure comes from Old French tonsure ‘tonsure (hair)’, from Latin tonsūra ‘a clipping, trimming’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tend- ‘to split, cut off’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tend-‘to split, cut off’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tondeōreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtondeō‘shear, clip, trim’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtonsūra‘a clipping, trimming’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400tonsure‘tonsure (hair)’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  7. Englishtodaysame form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*tend-‘to split, cut off’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*tondeōreconstructed
  3. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtondeō‘shear, clip, trim’
  4. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtonsūra‘a clipping, trimming’
  5. Old Frenchc. 842–1400tonsure‘tonsure (hair)’
  6. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500same form
  7. Englishtodaysame form

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *tend- ‘to split, cut off’

attend, intent, intense, intensive, pretentious, tun, ostensible, détente, 6 more

Today it means

verb To shave the crown of the head of (a person) as a sign of humility and religious vocation.

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

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *tend- / tonsure

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