Ton

See also: ton, TON, tón, tòn, tốn, tợn, -ton, and Appendix:Variations of "ton"

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /toːn/
• Rhymes: -oːn

Etymology 1

With irregular t- (as in tausend) and widespread dialectal -ā- → -ō- from Middle High German dāhen, tāhen, inflected form of dāhe, tāhe, from Old High German thāha, dāha, tāha, from Proto-Germanic *þanhǭ. Cognate with Old English þō, Old Norse þá, Gothic 𐌸𐌰𐌷𐍉 (þāhō).

The oldest spelling is Toh(e)n, which then became Thon as part of a general habit of writing -th- in the vicinity of long vowels. During the spelling reforms of the early 20th century, all th-spellings in inherited words were reduced to -t-, thereby making Ton one of the very few words in which Proto-Germanic -h- is not reflected (compare the same in Träne).

Alternative forms

• Thon (obsolete)

Noun

Ton m (strong, genitive Tones or Tons, plural Tone)

1. clay

   Synonyms: Lehm, (rare) Klei

Declension

Declension of Ton [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Ton	die	Tone
genitive	eines	des	Tones, Tons	der	Tone
dative	einem	dem	Ton, Tone1	den	Tonen
accusative	einen	den	Ton	die	Tone

¹Now uncommon, see notes.

Derived terms

• tonig

Hyponyms

• Töpferton

Related terms

• Tonbecher
• Tonflöte
• Tongefäß
• Tongrube
• Tonschale
• Tonschicht
• Tonstich
• Tonziegel

 

Etymology 2

From Middle High German tōn, from Latin tonus, from Ancient Greek τόνος (tónos).

Noun

Ton m (strong, genitive Tones or Tons, plural Töne)

1. tone
   • 1929, Kurt Tucholsky, Das Lächeln der Mona Lisa (Sammelband), Ernst Rowohlt Verlag, page 43:

     Eine der unangenehmsten Peinlichkeiten in deutschen Gerichtssälen ist die Überheblichkeit der Vorsitzenden im Ton den Angeklagten gegenüber.

     One of the most unpleasant embarrassments in German court rooms is the hubris of the presiding judges in the tone towards the defendants.

2. (music) note (a musical pitch or sound)
3. tone (manner of speaking)

Declension

Declension of Ton [masculine, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der	Ton	die	Töne
genitive	eines	des	Tones, Tons	der	Töne
dative	einem	dem	Ton, Tone1	den	Tönen
accusative	einen	den	Ton	die	Töne

¹Now uncommon, see notes.

Derived terms

• tonal
• tonlos

Hyponyms

• Grundton, Halbton, Kammerton, Misston, Nebenton, Oberton, Unterton, Viertelton

Related terms

• Tonbereich, Tonfall, Tonfarbe, Tongebung, Tonhöhe, Tonlage, Tonsprache, Tonumfang

References

• Kluge, Friedrich (1975). Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 21. unveränderte Auflage. →ISBN. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, pp. 781–82.

Further reading

• “Ton” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Ton” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Ton” in Duden online

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Pennsylvania German

Etymology

Compare German Ton.

Noun

Ton m (plural Teen)

1. sound
2. tone