Ton

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ton"

Dutch

Etymology

From Anton.

Pronunciation
  • Audio(file)

Proper noun

Ton m

  1. a male given name

German

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /toːn/
  • Audio(file)
  • Audio(file)
  • Rhymes: -oːn

Etymology 1

With irregular t- (as in tausend) and widespread dialectal -ā- → -ō- from Middle High German dāhen, tāhen, inflected form of dāhe, tāhe, from Old High German thāha, dāha, tāha, from Proto-Germanic *þanhǭ, from Proto-Indo-European *tenk- (“to thicken, be solid”), related to *þinhaną (“to thrive”).[1]

Cognate with Old English þō, Old Norse þá, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌷𐍉 (þāhō).

The oldest spelling is Toh(e)n, which then became Thon as part of a general habit of writing -th- in the vicinity of long vowels. During the spelling reforms of the early 20th century, all th-spellings in inherited words were reduced to -t-, thereby making Ton one of the very few words in which Proto-Germanic -h- is not reflected (compare the same in Träne).

Alternative forms

Noun

Ton m (strong, genitive Tones or Tons, plural Tone)

  1. clay
    Synonyms: Lehm, (rare) Klei
Declension
Declension of Ton [masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Ton die Tone
genitive eines des Tones, Tons der Tone
dative einem dem Ton, Tone1 den Tonen
accusative einen den Ton die Tone

1Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms
  • Töpferton
Derived terms
  • Tonbecher
  • Tonflöte
  • Tongefäß
  • Tongrube
  • Tonschale
  • Tonschicht
  • Tonstich
  • Tonvase
  • Tonware
  • Tonziegel

References
  1. Kroonen, Guus (2013) “þanhon533”, in Etymological Dictionary of Proto-Germanic (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 11), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN

Etymology 2

From Middle High German tōn, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos).

Noun

Ton m (strong, genitive Tones or Tons, plural Töne)

  1. tone
    • 1929, Kurt Tucholsky, Das Lächeln der Mona Lisa (Sammelband), Ernst Rowohlt Verlag, page 43:
      Eine der unangenehmsten Peinlichkeiten in deutschen Gerichtssälen ist die Überheblichkeit der Vorsitzenden im Ton den Angeklagten gegenüber.
      One of the most unpleasant embarrassments in German court rooms is the hubris of the presiding judges in the tone towards the defendants.
  2. (music) note (a musical pitch or sound)
  3. tone (manner of speaking)
Declension
Declension of Ton [masculine, strong]
singular plural
indef. def. noun def. noun
nominative ein der Ton die Töne
genitive eines des Tones, Tons der Töne
dative einem dem Ton, Tone1 den Tönen
accusative einen den Ton die Töne

1Now rare, see notes.

Hyponyms
Derived terms

References
  • Kluge, Friedrich (1975). Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 21. unveränderte Auflage. →ISBN. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, pp. 781–82.

Further reading
  • “Ton” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • “Ton” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
  • “Ton” in Duden online

Pennsylvania German

Etymology

From Middle High German tôn, from Latin tonus. Compare German Ton.

Noun

Ton m (plural Teen)

  1. sound
  2. tone
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