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Origin and history of ton

ton(n.1)

[measure of weight or capacity], late 14c., "the quantity necessary to fill a tun or ask of wine;" the word is identical to tun (q.v.) "large barrel for wine, ale, or other liquid," often one of definite capacity.

The "weight-and-capacity" sense was (eventually) given its own spelling. The spelling with -o- became established 18c. (OED says "from c. 1688"); it is attested from 14c (tonne), and, though not phonetic, may have been retained partly because of the prevalence of Old French tonne, Medieval Latin tonna in legal forms and statutes in England.

As the sense shifted from the container to the definite capacity of it, ton came to be used broadly in Middle English for a definite capacity of many things (timber, stone, ships, iron, flour, earth) but the capacities varied between the trades and in different places. Ton as a national, legally defined measure of weight (in U.S., 2,000 pounds, a short-ton) is attested from 1485.

Ton of bricks or brick in colloquial images of heaviness and severity is by 1884.

The Omaha WORLD has dropped down on the officials like a ton of brick and the WORLD generally makes itself felt when it drops. ["Omaha Daily World," Jan. 16, 1888].

The phrase in the literal meaning figured commonly in accounts of lethal workplace accidents.

also from late 14c.

ton(n.2)

"prevailing mode, style, fashionable ways," 1769 ("a word used at present to express every thing that's fashionable"), from French ton (see tone (n.)), and compare bon-ton "good style," a French term used in English from 1744, which might be the immediate source,

also from 1769

Entries linking to ton

tone(n.)

mid-14c., "musical pitch, musical sound or note," especially considered with reference to its qualities (pitch, timbre, volume, etc.); from Old French ton, Anglo-French toen "musical sound, speech, words" (13c.) and directly from Latin tonus "a sound, tone, accent," literally "stretching" (in Medieval Latin, a term peculiar to music). This is from Greek tonos "vocal pitch, raising of voice, accent, key in music," originally "a stretching, tightening, taut string," which is related to teinein "to stretch" (from PIE root *ten- "to stretch").

The sense of "manner of speaking, modulation or inflection of the voice to express feeling, etc.," is from c. 1600. Extended by 1765 to "style in speaking or writing which reveals attitude." In physiology, in reference to firmness of body, from 1660s. As "prevailing state of manners" from 1735; also compare ton (n.2).

By early 15c. in reference to any sound (rendering Latin sonus). Of colors in paintings, by 1816. By 1893 in photography as "color or shade of a finished picture," often due to chemical processes. As an electrically produced sound made by a telephone, by 1878. Tone-deaf is by 1880; tone-poem by 1845.

tun(n.)

"large cask," especially one for wine, ale, or beer, Middle English tonne, tunne, from Old English tunne "tun, cask, barrel," a general North Sea Germanic word (compare Old Frisian tunne, Middle Dutch tonne, also Old High German tunna, German tonne). It is also found in Medieval Latin tunna (9c.) and Old French tonne (diminutive tonneau) and perhaps Celtic (compare Middle Irish, Gaelic tunna, Old Irish toun "hide, skin") but all are of uncertain relationship.

As a unit of weight and measure from late 14c., spelled ton and now a separate word (see ton (n.1)).