tom-tom

Where does the word "tom-tom" come from? It comes from Hindi tam-tam, and was adopted directly into English (1690s).

Tom-tom’s story begins in Hindi: tam-tam meant “a hand drum, named for its sound.” An echoic word imitating the sound of a beaten drum. It reached English by 1690s as tom-tom. British traders in India borrowed the drum's imitative name. Today, tom-tom means a small drum, typically played with the hands, used in various musical traditions.

1. Stage 1 · Hindi · medieval tam-tam "a hand drum, named for its sound", an echoic word imitating the sound of a beaten drum.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1690s tom-tom "a small drum played with the hands", British traders in India borrowed the drum's imitative name.