Tau
English edit
Etymology edit
Variant of Tao.
Proper noun edit
Tau (plural Taus)
- A surname from Chinese.
Statistics edit
- According to the 2010 United States Census, Tau is the 41359th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 526 individuals. Tau is most common among Asian/Pacific Islander (58.94%) and White (27.95%) individuals.
Further reading edit
- Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Tau”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York City: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.
German edit
Pronunciation edit
Etymology 1 edit
From Middle High German tou, from Old High German tou, from Proto-Germanic *dawwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze”). Compare Low German Dau, Dutch dauw, English dew, compare also Danish dug.
Noun edit
Tau m (strong, genitive Taues or Taus, no plural)
Declension edit
Derived terms edit
Related terms edit
- tauen (partly)
Etymology 2 edit
Borrowed from Middle Low German [Term?], from Old Saxon tou, from Proto-Germanic *tawwą.
Noun edit
Tau n (strong, genitive Taues or Taus, plural Taue)
- strong rope
Declension edit
Derived terms edit
Etymology 3 edit
Borrowed from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû); see English tau.
Noun edit
Tau n (strong, genitive Taus, plural Taus)
- tau (greek letter)
- 1866, Willibald Raila, Der Vokal-Akzent, ein bisher unformulirtes Gesez der Sprachen, insbesonders der deütschen Sprache, page 35:
- Aus zwei Sigma zwei Tau, z. B. πραττειν – πρασσειν zu sprechen, ahmt der Deütsche auch dem Griechen nach, z. B. Splitter und Splisser.
- (please add an English translation of this quotation)
Declension edit
Etymology 4 edit
Noun edit
Tau f (genitive Tau, no plural)
- (ethnography) Tao people
Further reading edit
- “Tau” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
- “Tau” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
- “Tau” in Duden online
- Tau on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia de
Norwegian Bokmål edit
Proper noun edit
Tau
Anagrams edit
Norwegian Nynorsk edit
Etymology edit
Uncertain, but etymologists have pointed to a couple of explanations. One proposes a derivation of Old Norse taufr (“sorcery, charms”), in reference to the practice of primitive magic in the area, reckoning Taufr to be a name of the creek running through.[1][2] Another proposes a relationship with Old Norse taug (“string, rope”) and teygja (“to stretch out”), in reference to the nature of waterflow of said creek.[1]
It was attested through the late medieval and early modern periods as a Taufer (1389), Taugir (1427), and af Thawgh (1463), Thow (1563), Touu (1567), Thouff (1602), Though (1606), Thoug (1610), Thov (1661), and Toug (1723).[2] Another spelling, Tou, is still preserved in the name of a local brewery.
Proper noun edit
Tau
References edit
Anagrams edit
Saterland Frisian edit
Etymology edit
From Old Frisian tau, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *tawwą. Cognates include West Frisian tou and German Tau.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
Tau n (plural Taue)