English
tusk
Tusk comes from Old English tūsc ‘canine tooth, tusk, molar’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- ‘to bite’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-‘to bite’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃dónts‘tooth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tanþs‘tooth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tunþskaz‘canine tooth’reconstructedextended form of *tanþs
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*tų̄skreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150tūsc‘canine tooth, tusk, molar’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tusk
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃ed-‘to bite’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*h₃dónts‘tooth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanicc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tanþs‘tooth’reconstructed
- Proto-Germanic, derivedc. 500 BCE–200 CE*tunþskaz‘canine tooth’reconstructedextended form of *tanþs
- Proto-West Germanicc. 200–500 CE*tų̄skreconstructed
- Old Englishc. 450–1150tūsc‘canine tooth, tusk, molar’
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500tusk
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- ‘to bite’
odor, annoy, ozone, trident, egregious, odious, redolent, denture, dentate, dentin, osmium, odium, 64 more
through Proto-Indo-European *h₃dónts ‘tooth’
dental, dent, zinc, toothless, dens, dancy, 48 more
through Proto-Germanic *tanþs ‘tooth’
through Old English tūsc ‘canine tooth, tusk, molar’
Today it means
noun One of a pair of elongated pointed teeth (either cuspids or incisors) that extend outside the mouth of an animal such as walrus, elephant or wild boar, and which continue to grow throughout the animal's life.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *h₃ed- / tusk