English word origin

Etymology of Tanna

Named by British explorer James Cook in 1774, said to be from Kwamera tana (“earth”), ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tanəq (“earth, soil”).

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

name

An island of Tafea, Vanuatu.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Named by British explorer James Cook in 1774, said to be from Kwamera tana (“earth”), ultimately from Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tanəq (“earth, soil”).

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentiontanatnk · earth
Derivation mention*tanəqpoz-pro · earth, soil

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+ (island)"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tnk",
        "3": "tana",
        "t": "earth"
      },
      "expansion": "Kwamera tana (“earth”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "poz-pro",
        "3": "*tanəq",
        "t": "earth, soil"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Malayo-Polynesian *tanəq (“earth, soil”)"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tana",
      "tana#Kwamera"
    ],
    [
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      "Reconstruction:Proto-Malayo-Polynesian/tanəq"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "An island of Tafea, Vanuatu."
      ],
      "tags": [],
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  "omittedAuxiliaryFields": {
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  }
}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

Any of the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishna, from approximately 10–220 CE.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From Hebrew תַּנָּא (tannā), from Aramaic.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Borrowed-form mentionתַּנָּאhe

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "wp",
      "args": {
        "1": "+im"
      },
      "expansion": ""
    },
    {
      "name": "bor",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "he",
        "3": "תַּנָּא",
        "tr": "tannā"
      },
      "expansion": "Hebrew תַּנָּא (tannā)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "arc",
        "3": "-"
      },
      "expansion": "Aramaic"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "תַּנָּא",
      "תנא#Hebrew"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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        "Any of the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the Mishna, from approximately 10–220 CE."
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}

Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for Tanna →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-VGFubmE