tong

Where does the word "tong" come from? It comes from Chinese táng, and was adopted directly into English (1880s).

Tong’s story begins in Chinese: táng meant “a hall or meeting place for an association.” Meaning 'hall', used for the meeting halls of clan and trade associations. It reached English by 1880s as tong. Adopted in American English for Chinese fraternal and, later, criminal associations in cities like San Francisco. Today, tong means historically, a Chinese-American fraternal or secret society, sometimes linked to organized crime.

1. Stage 1 · Chinese · medieval táng "a hall or meeting place for an association", meaning 'hall', used for the meeting halls of clan and trade associations.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1880s tong "a Chinese-American fraternal association, later associated with organized crime", adopted in American English for Chinese fraternal and, later, criminal associations in cities like San Francisco.