Etymology: Early Middle English tawne(n , taun-e(n , aphetic form of *at-awne(n, at-aune(n, < at- prefix¹ + awne(n , in Ormin awwnenn , awn(e v.², to show, exhibit. Old English *awnian has not been found, but Middle English t-awnen is parallel to Middle Low German, Middle Dutch, Low German t-ônen, Dutch t-oonen, Middle High German z-ounen to show. These point to an Old Germanic *at-awnôjan, as a by-form of Gothic at-augjan (Old Saxon t-ogian, Old English æt-eowan, æt-iewan) to bring before the eyes, to show, < Old Germanic *augon-, augn-, awn-, stems of augon- eye. See Feist Got. Etymol., s.v. Augō, Brugmann ed. 2, §165, §681, Schade s.v. zougan, Franck s.v. toon, toonen.

Etymology: ? Derivative of taw v.¹; ? for taw-en.