Tonne
/tʌn/noun
A metric unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms.
Did you know?Tonne is a French borrowing from the same Germanic root as English ton, ultimately tied to the idea of a large cask or tun, not a mystical weight spell.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*tunnā
“A cask or barrel”
Old English
English
tunne
“A large cask or barrel”
Old French
Old French
tonne
“A cask or barrel”
Middle English
English
ton
“A large unit of weight, originally based on a tun of wine or other goods”
19th Century
French
tonne
“A metric ton, especially as standardized in the metric system”
Modern English
English
tonne
“A metric unit of mass equal to 1,000 kilograms”