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Origin and history of taunt

taunt(v.)

1510s, tant "make a smart reply; answer (someone) with a mocking rejoinder;" 1550s, "reproach in a sarcastic way;" of uncertain origin, possibly [Skeat] from French tanter, tenter "to tempt, try, provoke," variant of tempter "to try" (see tempt).

Or from French tant pour tant "so much for so much, tit for tat," on the notion of "sarcastic rejoinder" (considered by OED, 1989, the "most likely suggestion"), thus from Old French tant "as much," from Latin tantus, from tam "so;" for which see tandem. Compare Middle English tant-ne-quant (adv.) "in any way," from Old French ne tant ne quant. Related: Taunted; taunter; taunting.

To taunt is to press upon a person certain facts or accusations of a reproachful character unsparingly, for the purpose of annoying or shaming, and glorying in the effect of the insulting words : as, to taunt one with his failure. [Century Dictionary]

also from 1510s

taunt(n.)

1520s, "bitter invective, upbraiding words, sarcastic reproach," probably from taunt (v.).

also from 1520s

Entries linking to taunt

tandem(n.)

1785, "two-wheeled carriage pulled by horses harnessed one behind the other" (instead of side-by-side), jocular use of Latin tandem "at length (of time), at last, so much," from tam "so" (from PIE *tam-, adverbial form of demonstrative pronoun root *-to-; see -th (1)) + demonstrative suffix -dem. "Probably first in university use" [Century Dictionary].

Transferred by 1884 to "a bicycle with two seats" (tandem-bicycle). In English as an adverb ("one behind the other, in single file") from 1795; as an adjective ("having one before the other") from 1801.

tempt(v.)

c. 1200, tempten, of the devil, flesh, etc., "draw or entice to evil or sin, lure (someone) from God's law; be alluring or seductive," from Old French tempter, tenter (12c.) and directly from Latin temptare "to feel, try out, test; attempt to influence," a variant of tentare "handle, touch, try, test." De Vaan says this is from a PIE *tempto-, from a verbal root meaning "to touch, feel," "for which the root *temp- 'to stretch' seems a good candidate." See temple (n.2).

It is attested from late 14c. in the meaning "provoke, defy" (God, fate, etc.). Related: Tempted; tempting; temptable; temptability.

The Latin alteration is "explainable only as an ancient error due to some confusion" [Century Dictionary], but there is a pattern; compare attentare, a variant of attemptare (as in (Modern French attenter). Also compare Spanish pronto (adv.) from Latin promptus.

taut(adj.)

mid-13c., tohte, tought "stretched or pulled tight, strained, not slack," possibly from tog-, past participle stem of Old English teon "to pull, drag," from Proto-Germanic *theuhanan, from PIE root *deuk- "to lead," which would connect it to tow (v.) and tie. But OED (1989) writes that "the history of this word is in many points obscure." Middle English Compendium finds it probably a special development from variant forms of tough (adj.) with possible influence from teon. Commonly confused with taunt. Related: Tautly; tautness.