tawny

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) enPR: tôʹnē, IPA(key): /ˈtɔːni/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɔni/, /ˈtɑ-/ Rhymes: -ɔːni Hyphenation: taw‧ny === Etymology 1 === The adjective is derived from Middle English tauni, tawne (“having a brownish-orange colour”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman taune, tawné, and Old French tané, tanné, tanney (“of a tan colour”), an adjective use of the past participle of taner (“to turn hide into leather, tan”), from tan (“pulped oak bark used to tan leather, tanbark”), ultimately from Proto-Celtic *tannos (“green oak”); further etymology uncertain, possibly from Proto-Indo-European *(s)dʰnwos, *(s)dʰonu (“fir”). The -aw- spelling (also -au- in Middle English) seems to have been due to the pronunciation of Old French tané. The verb is derived from the adjective. ==== Adjective ==== tawny (comparative tawnier, superlative tawniest) Of a light brown to brownish orange colour; orangey brown tinged with gold. Synonyms: fulvid, fulvous, olivaster, subfuscous, swart, swartish, swarty; see also Thesaurus:brownish ===== Alternative forms ===== tawney (obsolete) ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== tan tawn ===== Translations ===== ===== See also ===== fulvescent rufofulvous ==== Verb ==== tawny (third-person singular simple present tawnies, present participle tawnying, simple past and past participle tawnied) (transitive) To cause (someone or something) to have a light brown to brownish orange colour; to tan, to tawn. (intransitive) To become a light brown to brownish orange colour; to tan, to tawn. ===== Derived terms ===== tawnied (adjective) tawnying (adjective, noun) ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === From Middle English tauni, tawne (“brownish-orange colour; cloth of this colour; sweet beverage of this colour”) [and other forms], from Anglo-Norman tawné, and Old French tané, tanné, tanney (“tan colour; cloth of this colour”), from tané (verb): see further at etymology 1. Sense 2.1 (“Eurasian bullfinch”) is due to the brown colour of the female. ==== Noun ==== tawny (countable and uncountable, plural tawnies or tawnys) A light brown to brownish orange colour. (specifically, heraldry) Synonym of tenné (“a rarely-used tincture of orange or bright brown”). Hyponym: dragon's head Something of a light brown or brownish orange colour (particularly if it has the word tawny in its name). (Somerset) The common bullfinch or Eurasian bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula). (alcoholic beverages) In full tawny port: a sweet, fortified port wine which is blended and matured in wooden casks. (obsolete) A fabric of a light brown to brownish orange colour. (probably derogatory) A person with skin of a brown colour. Tawny frogmouth. Tawny owl. ===== Derived terms ===== tawnies (“clothes made of tawny-coloured fabric”) (obsolete) ===== Translations ===== ==== See also ==== Appendix:Colors === References === === Further reading === tawny (color) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia tawny port on Wikipedia.Wikipedia tawny (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “tawny”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 6201. “tawny”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. “tawny”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “tawny”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. === Anagrams === Wyant, wanty