Tarnish Definition
Origin of Tarnish
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From Middle French terniss-, stem of ternir (“to make dull, deaden, tarnish"), from Old French ternir (“to make dim, make wan"), from Frankish *tarnjan (“to cover up, conceal, hide"), from Proto-Germanic *darnijanÄ… (“to conceal"), from Proto-Indo-European *dher(ǝ)-, *dhrÄ“- (“to hold, hold tight, support"). Cognate with Old High German *tarnjan, tarnen (“to hide, cover up, conceal") (Modern German tarnen), Old English dyrnan, diernan (“to keep secret, conceal, hide, restrain, repress"). More at dern, darn.
From Wiktionary
Middle English ternisshen from Old French ternir terniss- to dull from terne dull of Germanic origin
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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