taunt: [16] The etymological notion underlying taunt is of giving someone tit for tat, of returning as much in reply as has been given. It comes from the French phrase tant pour tant ‘so much for so much’. This was borrowed into English in the early 16th century as taunt pour taunt or (partially anglicized) taunt for taunt, which was used for a ‘sarcastic rejoinder’. The first record of the use of taunt on its own (as a verb) dates from 1513. [taunt etymology, taunt origin, 英语词源]