An Etymological Dictionary of the German Language/Annotated/Tinte

by Friedrich Kluge

Tinte, feminine, ‘ink, tint,’ from the equivalent Middle High German tinte, tinkte (for nct and nt compare bunt and Spunt), Old High German tincta, feminine; the word is evidently borrowed; it is based on the equivalent Latin tincta (literally ‘coloured, variegated things’), whence Italian and Spanish tinta, ‘ink.’ It is clear, therefore, that the spelling Tinte is historically more correct than Dinte; the latter is due to Middle German and Low German. In Old High German atraminza (from Latin atramentum, compare Old French errement) was used. The equivalent English ink, Dutch inkt, Rhenish inkes, are based on the Romance cognates, French encre, Old French enques, Italian inchiostro (the ultimate source is Latin-Greek ἔγκαυστον).