Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “extortionate” come from?

extortionate (English) comes from English extortion, from Middle English extorcion, from Late Latin extortio, from Latin extorqueo, from Latin torqueō, from Proto-Indo-European terkʷ- — to turn, spin.

extortionate (English): Of, related to or typifying extortion; Greatly...

Definitions

  1. Of, related to or typifying extortion; Greatly...

Ancestry of “extortionate”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishextortionThe practice of extorting money or other property...
2Middle EnglishextorcionExtortion; being threatening for the purpose of...
3Late Latinextortio—
4LatinextorqueoI extort; I tear away, twist away, wrench out
5Latintorqueō—
6Proto-Indo-Europeanterkʷ-to turn, spin

Words derived from “extortionate”

  • extortionately
  • unextortionate
Every word from Proto-Indo-European terkʷ- →