From Middle Englishtange, variant of tonge(“tongs, fang”), from Old Norsetangi(“pointed metal tool”), perhaps related to Old Norsetunga(“tongue”). But see also Old Dutchtanger(“sharp, tart, pinching”).
This etymology is incomplete. You can help Wiktionary by elaborating on the origins of this term. Does this need another split between taste and metal bit? Also eye-dialect for tongue???
Noun
tang (pluraltangs)
A refreshingly sharp aroma or flavor.
Synonyms:bite, piquancy, spiciness
Antonyms:blandness, dullness
A strong or offensive taste; especially, a taste of something extraneous to the thing itself.
(figuratively) A sharp, specific flavor or tinge.
A projecting part of an object by means of which it is secured to a handle, or to some other part.
The part of a knife, fork, file, or other small instrument, which is inserted into the handle.
(firearms) The projecting part of the breech of a musket barrel, by which the barrel is secured to the stock.
The part of a sword blade to which the handle is fastened.
(zoology) Any of a group of saltwater fish from the family Acanthuridae, especially the genus Zebrasoma.
Synonym:surgeonfish
(games) A shuffleboard paddle.
Coordinate term:biscuit
Obsolete form of tongue.
1667, John Lacy, Sauny the Scot: Or, the Taming of the Shrew, Act V,
Sauny Hear ye, sir; could not ye mistake, and pull her tang out instead of her teeth?
(by extension) Anything resembling a tongue in form or position, such as the tongue of a buckle.
Derived terms
Translations
Etymology 2
Imitative
Noun
tang (pluraltangs)
A sharp, twanging sound; an unpleasant tone; a twang.
Verb
tang (third-person singular simple presenttangs, present participletanging, simple past and past participletanged)
(dated, beekeeping) To strike two metal objects together loudly in order to persuade a swarm of honeybees to land so it may be captured by the beekeeper.
To make a ringing sound; to ring.
Etymology 3
Probably of Scandinavian origin; compare Danishtang(“seaweed”), Swedishtång, Icelandicþang
tangc (singular definitetangen, not used in plural form)
seaweed
Dutch
Etymology
From Middle Dutchtanghe, from Old Dutchtanga, from Proto-West Germanic*tangu, from Proto-Germanic*tangō.
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /tɑŋ/
Rhymes: -ɑŋ
Noun
tangf (pluraltangen, diminutivetangetjen)
pliers
tongs
(especially the diminutive) pincers, tweezers
(figuratively) shrew, bitch
Derived terms
kniptang
krultang
nijptang
pijptang
waterpomptang
Descendants
Negerhollands: tang
→ Indonesian: tang
Estonian
Etymology
From Proto-Norse*ᛊᛏᚨᚾᚷᚢ(*stangu, “bar, rod, stake”) (compare Old Norsestǫng, GermanStange), with the meaning change rod > something prickly > prickly ear (of wheat etc) > grain.
From Finno-Mordovian, in that case cognate to Finnishtankea(“stiff”), Livonianda’nktõ, da’nkti(“strong, healthy”). Original meaning presumably was "something hard, stiff".
Noun
tang (genitivetangu, partitivetangu)
groat (hulled grain)
Declension
Further reading
“tang”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009
“tang”, in [ETY] Eesti etümoloogiasõnaraamat [Estonian Etymological Dictionary] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2012
Hokkien
Iban
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /taəŋ/
Hyphenation: tang
Conjunction
tang
but
Indonesian
Pronunciation
IPA(key): [ˈtaŋ]
Hyphenation: tang
Homophone: tank
Etymology 1
From Dutchtang, from Middle Dutchtanghe, from Old Dutchtanga, from Proto-Germanic*tangō.
“tang” in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia, Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation — Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic Indonesia, 2016.
Kriol
Etymology
From Englishtongue.
Noun
tang
tongue
Kusunda
Noun
tang
water
Mandarin
Romanization
tang
Nonstandard spelling of tāng.
Nonstandard spelling of táng.
Nonstandard spelling of tǎng.
Nonstandard spelling of tàng.
Usage notes
Transcriptions of Mandarin into the Latin script often do not distinguish between the critical tonal differences employed in the Mandarin language, using words such as this one without indication of tone.
Mauritian Creole
Etymology
From Malagasytandraka.
Noun
tang
tenrec
References
Baker, Philip & Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. 1987. Dictionnaire de créole mauricien. Morisyen – English – Français
Middle English
Noun
tang
Alternative form of tonge(“tongs”)
Northern Kurdish
Noun
tang?
side
Norwegian Bokmål
Etymology 1
From Old Norsetǫng.
Noun
tangf or m (definite singulartangaortangen, indefinite pluraltenger, definite pluraltengene)
(a pair of) pliers, pincers
(a pair of) forceps
Derived terms
knipetang
See also
tong(Nynorsk)
Etymology 2
From Old Norseþang, compare with GermanTang.
Noun
tangm or n (definite singulartangenortanget, uncountable)
kelp, seaweed(order Fucales)
References
“tang” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
Norwegian Nynorsk
Etymology
From Old Norseþangn.
Noun
tangm (definite singulartangen, uncountable)
kelp, seaweed(order Fucales)
Usage notes
Prior to a 2019 revision, it was also considered grammatically neuter. With this change, definite singular tanget was made non-standard.
References
“tang” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.
Phalura
Etymology
From Urduتنگ(taṅg), from Persian [Term?].
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /taŋɡ/, /taŋ/
Adjective
tang (invariable, Perso-Arabic spellingتنگ)
narrow
troubled
References
Liljegren, Henrik, Haider, Naseem (2011) Palula Vocabulary (FLI Language and Culture Series; 7)[1], Islamabad, Pakistan: Forum for Language Initiatives, →ISBN
Seychellois Creole
Etymology
From Malagasytandraka.
Noun
tang
tenrec
References
Danielle D’Offay et Guy Lionnet, Diksyonner Kreol - Franse / Dictionnaire Créole Seychellois - Français
Tai Do
Etymology
Cognate with Thaiทาง(taang), Laoທາງ(thāng), Northern Thaiᨴᩤ᩠ᨦ, Lüᦑᦱᧂ(taang), Shanတၢင်း(táang).
Pronunciation
IPA(key): /taːŋ⁵⁵/
Noun
tang
road, path, way
Tok Pisin
Etymology 1
From Englishtongue.
Noun
tang
tongue
Etymology 2
From Englishtank.
Noun
tang
tank
Torres Strait Creole
Etymology
From Englishtongue.
Noun
tang
(anatomy) tongue
Vietnamese
Pronunciation
(Hà Nội) IPA(key): [taːŋ˧˧]
(Huế) IPA(key): [taːŋ˧˧]
(Hồ Chí Minh City) IPA(key): [taːŋ˧˧]
Etymology 1
Sino-Vietnamese word from 喪.
Noun
tang
a series of events that encompasses a funeral, a burial or cremation, and a period of mourning spanning up to 3 years after the lunar date of death
Derived terms
Etymology 2
From Englishtangent.
Noun
tang
(trigonometry) tangent
See also
tan
côtang
tiếp tuyến
Etymology 3
Noun
tang
(music) shell (body of a drum)
Etymology 4
Noun
tang
(fossil word) evidence of wrongdoing
Usage notes
This sense only occurs in some compound words.
Derived terms
Etymology 5
Noun
tang
(informal) something or someone insignificant
Etymology 6
Sino-Vietnamese word from 桑
Noun
tang
(fossil word) mulberry
(fossil word) silkworm
Usage notes
This sense only occurs in some compound words.
Derived terms
See also
Ca-tang
tang tảng
References
"tang" in Hồ Ngọc Đức, Free Vietnamese Dictionary Project (details)