Where does “tower” come from?

Tower comes from English tow, Chinese 兒, Latin taurus, Latin -are, Latin -arius, and Proto-Indo-European terh₁-.

tower (English): A very tall iron-framed structure, usually...

Definitions

  1. A very tall iron-framed structure, usually...

Ancestry of “tower”, step by step

tower traces back through 3 separate lines of ancestry.

via Middle English tour

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtourtower
2Old Frenchtourtower
3Old Frenchtornerto turn; to return; to go back
4Latintornōto turn
5LatintornusA turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel
6Ancient GreekτόρνοςA tool similar to a pair of compasses used to...
7Proto-Indo-Europeantorh₂no-—
8Proto-Indo-Europeanterh₁-to rub, turn; to drill, pierce

via Middle English tur

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtur—
2Old Frenchtortower; bull
3LatinTaurusTaurus, one of the constellations of the Zodiac
4Ancient GreekΤαῦροςone of the Tauri
5Proto-Hellenictáurosbull
6Proto-Indo-Europeantáwroswild bull, aurochs

via Middle English tor

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Englishtor—
2Old Englishtorrtower
3LatinTurrisA river of Venetia, now called Torre
4Ancient Greekτύρριςtower, walled city
5Ancient Greekτύρσιςtower, bastion
Every word from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- →Every word from Proto-Indo-European torh₂no- →Every word from Ancient Greek τόρνος →