tunica

Meaning

Frequency

B2
Pronounced as (IPA)
[ˈtʊ.nɪ.ka]
Etymology

Possibly of Central Semitic origin as Ancient Greek χῐτών (khĭtṓn), with a metathesis. Compare Aramaic כִּיתּוּנָא (kittōnā, “tunic”) / ܟܘܬܝܢܐ (kuttīnā, kottīnā, “tunic”), Hebrew כֻּתֹּנֶת (kuttṓnĕṯ, “tunic”); from the word for flax, Aramaic כּיתָּנָא (kittānā, “flax”) / ܟܬܢܐ (kettānā, “flax”), Akkadian 𒃰 (kitûm, “flax”), Sumerian 𒃰 (gada, “flax”), ultimately a substrate word. However, Etruscan has been suggested as well. Compare also borrowed textile terms of unknown origin in Mycenaean Greek 𐀵𐀖𐀏 (to-mi-ka) and 𐀵𐀛𐀊 (to-ni-ja), both descriptions of textile, as well as 𐀶𐀙𐀜 (tu-na-no, “kind of textile”).

Notes

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