i am with my dear Mr Bingley on tom tom, tom (tam)is used for drum in many english words.. (the one you just posted the other day Dr Bill, (i forget how to spell it, but ear drum), and tambore is an other drum word, and as is tamborine, (a little drum.)

the tam(tom) (the vowel tends to be A in english, but in some words its O or I--which makes perfect sense!) shows up in words for 'cloth stretched into a hoop for embroidery' (tambore work)in both english and italian, and lots of other drum like applications.--little straight sided baking dishes, are 'timbales'- to make 'little drums' of custard or custard like foods.(timbales comes to us from the french)

i think we covered some of them not too long ago.. (with in the year).


my other obsession