Tiles Have Been Fired Clay for Six Thousand Years
A tile is a thin slab for covering surfaces. The technology has barely changed.
A tile is a thin slab of baked clay, stone or other material used to cover roofs, floors and walls. The basic technology is among the oldest still in everyday use: fired clay tiles appear in the Near East around 4000 BCE and in China not long after, and a Roman roof tile would function perfectly on a modern building. Only the glazes and the firing control have really changed. Latin *tegula* comes from *tegere*, to cover, the same root as *protect* and *toga*.
- A thin slab. *A roof tile.*
- To cover with tiles. *Tiling the floor.*
- A game piece. *A Scrabble tile.*
- Tiler — one who tiles. *A tiler.*
- Latin — *tegere*, to cover. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | tile | A tile. |
| Plural | tiles | Tiles. |
| Verb | tile | Tiling. |
| Agent | tiler | A tiler. |
| Latin | tegula | A tile. |
- A slipped roof tile.Building.
- They tiled the bathroom.Verb.
- Tegere means to cover.Etymology.
The tegere family
- Tile — a covering slab
- Protect — to cover in front
- Detect — to uncover
- Toga — a covering garment
- Tegument — a covering layer in biology
Old English *tigele*, from Latin *tegula*, a tile, from *tegere*, to cover.
How old are clay tiles?
Fired clay tiles appear in the Near East around 4000 BCE, and the basic technology has scarcely changed since.
Is protect related to tile?
Yes. Both come from Latin tegere, to cover.