Where does “torment” come from?
Torment comes from Middle English torment, from Old French torment, from Latin tormentum, derived from Latin torquere meaning "to twist," ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terkʷ-.
torment (English): A catapult or other kind of war-engine; Torture,...
Definitions
- A catapult or other kind of war-engine; Torture,...
Ancestry of “torment”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | torment | torment (suffering, pain) |
| 2 | Old French | torment | torture; suffering; torment |
| 3 | Latin | tormentum | an engine for hurling missiles; a shot or missile... |
| 4 | Proto-Italic | torkmentom | — |