tun

English

Alternative forms

• tunne, tonne (obsolete)

Etymology 1

From Middle English tunne, tonne (“cask, barrel”), from Old English tunne (“tun, cask, barrel”), from Proto-Germanic *tunnǭ, *tunnō (“tun, barrel, cask”), from Latin tunna, probably of Gaulish origin.

Cognate with North Frisian tenn (“tun, barrel, cask”), Dutch ton (“tun, barrel, cask”), German Tonne (“tun, barrel, drum”), Danish tønde (“barrel”), Swedish tunna (“barrel, cask, tun”), Icelandic tunna (“barrel”). Compare also Old French tonne, French tonneau (“ton, barrel”), Medieval Latin tunna (“cask”), Middle Irish tunna (“cask”), Welsh tynell (“tun, barrel”). It is uncertain whether the Germanic or the Celtic forms are the original.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /tʌn/, /tʊn/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Homophones: ton, tonne
• Rhymes: -ʌn, -ʊn

Noun

tun (plural tuns)

1. A large cask; an oblong vessel bulging in the middle, like a pipe or puncheon, and girt with hoops; a wine cask. (See a diagram comparing cask sizes.)
2. (brewing) A fermenting vat.
3. (historical) A traditional unit of liquid measure equal to 252 wine gallons or 2 pipes.
   • 1882, James Edwin Thorold Rogers, A History of Agriculture and Prices in England, page 205:

     Again, by 28 Hen. VIII, cap. 14, it is re-enacted that the tun of wine should contain 252 gallons, a butt of Malmsey 126 gallons, a pipe 126 gallons, a tercian or puncheon 84 gallons, a hogshead 63 gallons, a tierce 41 gallons, a barrel 31.5 gallons, a rundlet 18.5 gallons.

4. Synonym of long ton: a unit of mass equal to 2240 pounds, 20 hundredweights of 112 pounds avoirdupois each.
5. (figurative) Synonym of ton: any extremely or excessively large amount.
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies  (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :

     He therefore sends you, meeter for your spirit, / This tun of treasure; and, in lieu of this, / Desires you let the dukedoms that you claim / Hear no more of you.

   • 1682, John Dryden, Mac Flecknoe, lines 195–196:

     A Tun of Man in thy Large bulk is writ, / But sure thou'rt but a Kilderkin of wit.

6. (archaic, humorous or derogatory) Synonym of drunkard: a person who drinks excessively.
7. Any shell belonging to Tonna and allied genera.
8. The cryptobiotic state of a tardigrade, when its metabolism is temporarily suspended.

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

tun (third-person singular simple present tuns, present participle tunning, simple past and past participle tunned)

1. (transitive) To put into tuns, or casks.
   • 1843, Mary Holland, The Complete Economical Cook, and Frugal Housewife‎, 14th edition, page 407:

     Strong beer that is brewed in small quantities, and ale, whatever the quantity may be, should be tunned the second day after brewing; and small beer should be tunned as soon as it has fairly taken the yeast

Etymology 2

Mayan. This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term.

Noun

tun (plural tuns)

1. A part of the ancient Maya Long Count Calendar system which corresponds to 18 winal cycles or 360 days.

See also

Anagrams

• NTU, NUT, Nut, nut

Aromanian

Alternative forms

• tunu, tunã

Etymology

From Latin tonō. Compare Romanian tuna, tun.

Verb

tun first-singular present indicative (past participle tunatã)

1. to thunder

Related terms

• tunari / tunare
• tunat
• ditun / ditunã

Bambara

Adverb

tun

1. again

Dalmatian

Etymology

From Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos). Compare Italian tuono, Friulian ton, Catalan tro, Romansch tun, tung, Romanian tun, tunet, Spanish trueno.

Noun

tun m

1. thunderclap, thunder

Danish

Danish Wikipedia has an article on:

tun

Wikipedia ^da

Etymology 1

A contraction of tunfisk, from German Thunfisch (“tuna”), from Latin thunnus, from Ancient Greek θύννος (thúnnos).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuːn/,

Noun

tun c (singular definite tunen, plural indefinite tun)

1. tuna
2. tuna fish
3. tun

Inflection

Etymology 2

From Old Norse tún, from Proto-Germanic *tūną, from Proto-Celtic *dūnom.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuːn/,

Noun

tun n (singular definite tunet, plural indefinite tun)

1. (dated) An enclosed piece of ground.

Inflection

Etymology 3

See tune.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuːn/,

Verb

tun

1. imperative of tune

Fula

Alternative forms

• tan

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Adjective

tun

1. (Pular) only

Usage notes

• Other varieties of Fula use tan.

Adverb

tun

1. (Pular) only

Usage notes

• Other varieties of Fula use tan.

References

• Oumar Bah, Dictionnaire Pular-Français, Avec un index français-pular, Webonary.org, SIL International, 2014. (when accessed 2019-9-10, there was no entry for tun, but an example using the word was given in entry for jam)
• Herb Caudill and Ousmane Besseko Diallo, Miɗo waawi Pular! : learner's guide to Pular (Fuuta Jallon), Conakry, 2000. (examples in text)

German

Alternative forms

• thun (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle High German tuon, from Old High German tuon, from Proto-West Germanic *dōn, from Proto-Germanic *dōną, derived from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- (“to put, set, place”). Cognate with English do.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuːn/,

• audio

  (file)

Verb

tun (irregular, third-person singular present tut, past tense tat, past participle getan, past subjunctive täte, auxiliary haben)

1. To do (to perform or execute an action).

   Synonym: machen

   Tu es! ― Do it!

   Man tut, was man kann. ― One does what one can.

   Er tat das, was man ihm gesagt hat. ― He did as he was told.

   Das einzige, was er je tat, war arbeiten. ― The only thing he ever did was work.

2. (with dative) To do something (positive or negative) to someone.

   Synonym: antun

   Der tut Ihnen nichts! ― He won't hurt you! (said for example about a dog)

   Mein Mann hat mir so viel Gutes getan. ― My husband has done me so much good.

3. (reflexive, with an indefinite pronoun) To make a difference; to be different.

   Synonym: unterscheiden

   Tut sich das viel? ― Does that make much of a difference?

   Die beiden Kameras tun sich nichts. ― The two cameras are no different .

4. (somewhat informal, with “so” or “als ob”) To fake; to feign; to pretend.

   Synonyms: vortäuschen, täuschen, vorgeben

   Er hat nur so getan. ― He just faked it.

   Er tut, als ob er nichts wüsste. ― He pretends to know nothing.

5. (chiefly colloquial) To put, to place, to add.

   Synonyms: setzen, legen, stellen, platzieren, hinzufügen

   Tu das hier rein. ― Put it in here.

   Ich würde noch was Salz an die Kartoffeln tun. ― I would add some more salt to the potatoes.

   • 2017, Simone Meier, Fleisch, Kein & Aber, page 27:

     » Ich finds eklig, wenn du die Butter am Morgen nicht direkt aufs Brot streichst, sondern immer zuerst auf einen Teller tust. «

     I find it disgusting when you don't spread your butter straight on to your bread in the morning, but always put it on the plate first.

6. (chiefly colloquial, with “es”) To work, to function.

   Synonym: funktionieren

   Die Uhr tut’s nicht mehr. ― The clock doesn’t work anymore.

7. (chiefly colloquial, but acceptable in writing) Used with the preceding infinitive of another verb to emphasise this verb

   Er singt immer noch gern, aber tanzen tut er gar nicht mehr.

   He still loves singing, but as to dancing, he doesn't do that anymore at all.

8. (colloquial, nonstandard) Used with the following infinitive of another verb, often to emphasise the statement

   Ich tu doch zuhören! ― I am listening! (as a response to the reproach that one is not)

   Ich tu das jetzt mal aufräumen. ― I’m cleaning this up now.

9. (colloquial, nonstandard) Used in the past subjunctive with the infinitive of another verb to form the conditional tense (instead of standard würde)

   Ich tät mir das noch mal überlegen. ― I would think about that again.

Usage notes

• The verb tun in the sense of “to perform” is not used in combination with nouns. This function is covered by the verb machen: ich mache Sport, wir machen ein Spiel, er macht die Wäsche (“I do sport, we do a game, he does the laundry”). The same is true with pronouns that represent such nouns: Wer macht die Wäsche? – Ich mache sie. (“Who does the laundry? – I do it.”) It is usually ungrammatical to use tun in sentences like these.

Tun is only used with pronouns that represent actions as a whole: Was tust du? (“What are you doing?”) Ich tue viel für die Umwelt. (“I do a lot for the environment.”) Er tut alles, was sie sagt. (“He does everything she says.”)

• (colloquial, nonstandard): The use of do-support is a feature of several dialects and minority languages in Germany. In the standard language, it is most established along the Rhine. It is somewhat more acceptable when used for emphasis (as in the example with zuhören above), but is otherwise often regarded as illiterate (as in the example with aufräumen). This latter usage is generally associated with lower socio-economic status.

Conjugation

• The 1st person singular present indicative may also be (ich) tu.

Derived terms

Related terms

• Tat f

Further reading

• “tun” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “tun” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “tun” in OpenThesaurus.de
• “tun” in Duden online
• “tun” in Duden online

Hausa

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tún/
  • (Standard Kano Hausa) IPA^(key):

Preposition

tun

1. since, ever since

Hlai

Pronunciation

• (Standard Hlai, Baoding) IPA^(key): /tʰun˥˧/

Etymology 1

From Proto-Hlai *tʰun (“language”), from Pre-Hlai *tun (Norquest, 2015).

Noun

tun

1. speech; words; language
2. folk song
3. dispute; controversy

Etymology 2

From Proto-Hlai *tʰu[n/ɲ] (“to reap”), from Pre-Hlai *tu[n/ɲ] (Norquest, 2015).

Verb

tun

1. To reap.

Inari Sami

Etymology

From Proto-Samic *tonë.

Pronunciation

This entry needs pronunciation information. If you are familiar with the IPA then please add some!

Pronoun

tun (genitive tuu)

1. you (singular)

See also

Further reading

• tun in Marja-Liisa Olthuis, Taarna Valtonen, Miina Seurujärvi and Trond Trosterud (2015–2022) Nettidigisäänih Anarâškiela-suomakielâ-anarâškielâ sänikirje‎, Tromsø: UiT

• Koponen, Eino, Ruppel, Klaas, Aapala, Kirsti, editors (2002–2008), Álgu database: Etymological database of the Saami languages‎, Helsinki: Research Institute for the Languages of Finland

Javanese

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old Javanese tun (“desire, love, attach”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʊn/
• Hyphenation: tun

Noun

tun

1. desire

Kemi Sami

Etymology

From Proto-Samic *tonë.

Compare Inari Sami tun and Skolt Sami ton.

Pronoun

tun (genitive tu)

1. thou, you
   • 1889, A. Genetz, Journal de la Société finno-ougrienne (VII), Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seuran Kirjapainossa, page 116:

     Kulnaſaſz, niraſam, kätze, åinakåſz tun ſu salm.

     Kulnasasz, my reindeer, look: do you see her eyes?

Mandarin

Romanization

tun

1. Nonstandard spelling of tūn.
2. Nonstandard spelling of tún.
3. Nonstandard spelling of tǔn.
4. Nonstandard spelling of tùn.

Usage notes

• Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.

Mapudungun

Verb

tun (Raguileo spelling)

1. To catch.

Conjugation

Middle English

Noun

tun

1. Alternative form of toun

Norman

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

tun m (plural tuns)

1. (Jersey) tuft

Synonyms

• toupet
• tus

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From Old Norse tún. Akin to English town.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tʉːn/

Noun

tun n (definite singular tunet, indefinite plural tun, definite plural tuna)

1. courtyard, front yard (the area in front of, around or between houses, particularly on a farm)
   • 1996, Jon Fosse, Nokon kjem til å komme:

     I tunet framfor eit gammalt ganske forfallent hus […]

     In the front yard in front of an old, rather dilapidated house

2. farmstead (a collection of buildings and the area between them on a farm)

References

• “tun” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology

From Proto-West Germanic *tūn, from Proto-Germanic *tūną (“enclosure”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tuːn/

Noun

tūn m

1. an enclosed piece of ground, an enclosure or garden
2. the enclosed ground belonging to an individual dwelling
3. the group of houses on an area of enclosed land, a homestead
4. a village or town

Declension

Derived terms

• tȳnan
• wyrttūn

Related terms

• dūn (“hill, mountain”)

Descendants

• Middle English: toun, town, towne, tun, tune
  • English: town, tahn, tawn; toon; toune, towne
    • → Chichewa: tawuni
    • → Jersey Dutch: tāun
    • → Pennsylvania German: Taun
    • → Japanese: タウン (taun)
  • Geordie English: toon
  • Scots: toun, tone, toon, town
  • Yola: teoune, teoun

Old French

Pronoun

tun m (feminine ta)

1. (Anglo-Norman) your (second-person singular possessive pronoun)

Synonyms

• vostre (second-person plural form)

Romanian

Etymology

Inherited from Latin tonus (the original meaning being "thunderclap", as with the Romance cognates). See also the doublet ton (“tone”), borrowed through French.

Pronunciation

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

tun n (plural tunuri)

1. cannon
2. (archaic, popular) thunderclap

Related terms

• tuna
• tunet

Romansch

Alternative forms

• tùn (Sutsilvan)
• tung (Surmiran)

Etymology

From Latin tonus.

Noun

tun m

1. sound
2. thunder

Spanish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

tun m (plural tunes)

1. a Pre-Hispanic percussion instrument from Guatemala, consisting of a hollow wooden block with slits in the sides

Further reading

• “tun”, in Diccionario de la lengua española, Vigésima tercera edición, Real Academia Española, 2014

Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse tún, from Proto-Germanic *tūną, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“to finish, come full circle”). Cognate with Danish tun (“enclosed area”), Icelandic tún (“hayfield”), Norwegian Nynorsk tun (“farmstead; courtyard”), English town, German Zaun (“fence”), German Low German Tuun (“fence”), Dutch tuin (“garden”).

Noun

tun n

1. (archaic, dialectal) courtyard (an area surrounded by buildings)

Declension

Noun

tun c

1. (Gotland) fence

Declension

Derived terms

• Tunberg, Thunberg

Tetum

Etymology

From Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tuRun, compare Malay turun.

Verb

tun

1. To descend.

Uzbek

Noun

tun (plural tunlar)

1. night

Welsh

Welsh Wikipedia has an article on:

tun

Wikipedia ^cy

Alternative forms

• (obsolete) tyn

Etymology

From English tin, from Middle English tin, from Old English tin, from Proto-West Germanic *tin, from Proto-Germanic *tiną.

Pronunciation

• (North Wales) IPA^(key): /tɨ̞n/
• (South Wales) IPA^(key): /tɪn/
• Rhymes: -ɨ̞n

Usage notes

Despite being a single syllable word ending in un, the vowel in this borrowed word is short due as in the donor language. This stands in contrast to native words and earlier borrowings which are spelt the same vowel-consonant combination but contain long vowels, such as bun, clun, hun and llun.

Noun

tun m (plural tuniau or tunnau)

1. tin (metal)

   Synonyms: alcam, ystaen

2. tin (metal container), tin can

   Synonym: can

Derived terms

Mutation

References

• R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “tun”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies

Yámana

Noun

tun

1. tooth