Where does “torch” come from?
Torch comes from Middle English torche, from Old French torche, from Latin torqueo meaning to twist, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terkʷ-.
torch (English): A stick with a flame on one end, used chiefly as...
Definitions
- A stick with a flame on one end, used chiefly as...
Ancestry of “torch”, step by step
torch traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via French torcher
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | French | torcher | to wipe with a cloth to remove dirt; to flare; to... |
| 2 | French | torche | torch; first-person singular present indicative... |
| 3 | Old French | torche | bundle; torch |
| 4 | Vulgar Latin | torca | — |
| 5 | Latin | torquis | chaplet |
| 6 | Latin | torqueō | to spin, whirl, twirl, turn, cause to revolve |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | terkʷ- | to turn, spin |
via Middle English torch
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | torch | Alternative form of torche |