Tau

Variant of Tao.

Tau (plural Taus)

1. A surname from Chinese.

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Tau is the 41359^th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 526 individuals. Tau is most common among Asian/Pacific Islander (58.94%) and White (27.95%) individuals.

• Hanks, Patrick, editor (2003), “Tau”, in Dictionary of American Family Names, volume 3, New York: Oxford University Press, →ISBN.

• Thau (obsolete)

• IPA^(key): /taʊ̯/, [tʰaʊ̯]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Tau
• Rhymes: -aʊ̯

From Middle High German tou, from Old High German tou, from Proto-Germanic *dawwaz, from Proto-Indo-European *dʰewh₂- (“smoke, haze”). Compare Low German Dau, Dutch dauw, English dew, compare also Danish dug.

Tau m (strong, genitive Taues or Taus, no plural)

1. dew

• Morgentau
• Sonnentau
• Taufliege

• tauen (partly)

Borrowed from Middle Low German [Term?], from Old Saxon tou, from Proto-Germanic *tawwą. Related to English tow.

Tau n (strong, genitive Taues or Taus, plural Taue)

1. strong rope

• vertäuen

Borrowed from Ancient Greek ταῦ (taû); see English tau.

Tau n (strong, genitive Taus, plural Taus)

1. tau (greek letter)
   • 1866, Willibald Raila, Der Vokal-Akzent, ein bisher unformulirtes Gesez der Sprachen, insbesonders der deütschen Sprache, page 35:

     Aus zwei Sigma zwei Tau, z. B. πραττειν – πρασσειν zu sprechen, ahmt der Deütsche auch dem Griechen nach, z. B. Splitter und Splisser.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

Tau f (genitive Tau, no plural)

1. (ethnography) Tao people

• “Tau” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
• “Tau” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
• “Tau” in Duden online
•   Tau on the German Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^de

 

Norwegian Bokmål Wikipedia has an article on:

Tau (tettsted)

Wikipedia ^nb

 

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Tau, Norway

Wikipedia

Tau

1. Tau (a village outside Stavanger, located in the municipality of Strand, Rogaland)

• aut-, tau, tua, uta-

 

Norwegian Nynorsk Wikipedia has an article on:

Tau i Ryfylke

Wikipedia ⁿⁿ

 

English Wikipedia has an article on:

Tau, Norway

Wikipedia

 

Uncertain, but etymologists have pointed to a couple of explanations. One proposes a derivation of Old Norse taufr (“sorcery, charms”), in reference to the practice of primitive magic in the area, reckoning Taufr to be a name of the creek running through.^[1][2] Another proposes a relationship with Old Norse taug (“string, rope”) and teygja (“to stretch out”), in reference to the nature of waterflow of said creek.^[1]

It was attested through the late medieval and early modern periods as a Taufer (1389), Taugir (1427), and af Thawgh (1463), Thow (1563), Touu (1567), Thouff (1602), Though (1606), Thoug (1610), Thov (1661), and Toug (1723).^[2] Another spelling, Tou, is still preserved in the name of a local brewery.

Tau

1. Tau (a village outside Stavanger, located in the municipality of Strand, Rogaland)

• aut-, tau, tua

 

From Old Frisian tau, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *tawwą. Cognates include West Frisian tou and German Tau.

• IPA^(key): /taːu̯/
• Hyphenation: Tau
• Rhymes: -aːu̯

Tau n (plural Taue)

1. rope

• Marron C. Fort (2015) “Tau”, in Saterfriesisches Wörterbuch mit einer phonologischen und grammatischen Übersicht, Buske, →ISBN