Where does “elfenbenstårn” come from?
elfenbenstårn (Danish) comes from Danish tårn, from Old Norse turn, from Middle Low German tōrn, from Old French tor, from French tour, from Latin tornus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος, from Proto-Indo-European torh₂no- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
elfenbenstårn (Danish): ivory tower
Definitions
- ivory tower
Ancestry of “elfenbenstårn”, step by step
elfenbenstårn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Danish tårn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danish | tårn | tower; rook; imperative of tårne |
| 2 | Old Norse | turn | — |
| 3 | Middle Low German | tōrn | — |
| 4 | Old French | tor | tower; bull |
| 5 | French | tour | tower; rook; apartment building |
| 6 | Latin | tornus | A turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | τόρνος | A tool similar to a pair of compasses used to... |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | torh₂no- | — |
| 9 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
via Danish elfenben
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Danish | elfenben | ivory |
| 2 | German | Elfenbein | ivory |
| 3 | Middle High German | helfenbein | — |
| 4 | Old High German | helfantbein | ivory; elephant bone |
| 5 | Old High German | bein | leg; bone |
| 6 | Proto-West Germanic | bain | leg; bone |
| 7 | Proto-Germanic | bainą | leg; bone |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyh₂- | to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut |