English word origin

Etymology of tarse

From Middle English tarse, tearse, terce, ters, from Old English teors (“penis”), from Proto-West Germanic *ters (“nail; penis”), from Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to flay; split”). Related to Dutch teers, German Zers, an

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 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 ↗

noun

The penis.

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

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Inherited-form mentiontarseenm
Inherited-form mentionteorsang · penis
Inherited-form mention*tersgmw-pro · nail; penis
Derivation mention*der-ine-pro · to flay; split
Cognate mentionteersnl
Cognate mentionZersde

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "tarse"
      },
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    },
    {
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "teors",
        "t": "penis"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English teors (“penis”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*ters",
        "t": "nail; penis"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-West Germanic *ters (“nail; penis”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*der-",
        "t": "to flay; split"
      },
      "expansion": "Proto-Indo-European *der- (“to flay; split”)"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "nl",
        "2": "teers"
      },
      "expansion": "Dutch teers"
    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "de",
        "2": "Zers"
      },
      "expansion": "German Zers"
    }
  ],
  "links": [
    [
      "tarse",
      "tarse#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "tearse",
      "tearse#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "terce",
      "terce#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "ters",
      "ters#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "teors",
      "teors#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*ters",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/ters"
    ],
    [
      "*der-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/der-"
    ],
    [
      "teers",
      "teers#Dutch"
    ],
    [
      "Zers",
      "Zers#German"
    ],
    [
      "try",
      "try#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "The penis."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "archaic"
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

The tarsus (seven bones in the ankle).

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

Borrowed from French tarse, from Latin tarsus.

Relationships mentioned by the source

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

Borrowed-form mentiontarsefr

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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      "args": {
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        "2": "fr",
        "3": "tarse"
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    }
  ],
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      "tarse#French"
    ],
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      "tarsus",
      "tarsus#Latin"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
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      "glosses": [
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      ],
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

noun

A male falcon.

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

Compare tassel, tiercel.

Inspect preserved source fields

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

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  "templates": [],
  "links": [
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      "tassel#English"
    ],
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      "tiercel",
      "tiercel#English"
    ]
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  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A male falcon."
      ],
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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 tarse →

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-dGFyc2U