tan
The origin and history of tan.
Etymology
From Old French tan, "tanbark" (the oak bark used to cure leather), tracing back to a Gaulish word for oak. The "get a suntan" meaning came later, from the browning effect of tanning leather.
The origin and history of tan.
From Old French tan, "tanbark" (the oak bark used to cure leather), tracing back to a Gaulish word for oak. The "get a suntan" meaning came later, from the browning effect of tanning leather.