Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “downturned” come from?

downturned (English) comes from English turned, from English turn, from Middle English turnen, from Old French torner, from Latin tornō, from Latin tornus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος, from Proto-Indo-European torh₂no- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.

downturned (English): turned downwards

Definitions

  1. turned downwards

Ancestry of “downturned”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishturnedsimple past tense and past participle of turn
2Englishturn"to make a non-linear physical movement."; "To...
3Middle Englishturnento turn
4Old Frenchtornerto turn; to return; to go back
5Latintornō—
6LatintornusA turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel
7Ancient GreekτόρνοςA tool similar to a pair of compasses used to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeantorh₂no-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanterh₁-to rub, turn; to drill, pierce
Every word from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- →