Where does “turn” come from?
Turn comes from Middle English turnen, from Old French torner, from Latin tornare, meaning to shape on a lathe, derived from Proto-Indo-European terh₁-.
turn (English): "to make a non-linear physical movement."; "To...
Definitions
- "to make a non-linear physical movement."; "To...
Ancestry of “turn”, step by step
turn traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle English turnen
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | turnen | to turn |
| 2 | Old French | torner | to turn; to return; to go back |
| 3 | Latin | tornō | to turn |
| 4 | Latin | tornus | A turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | τόρνος | A tool similar to a pair of compasses used to... |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | torh₂no- | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
via Anglo-Norman torn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anglo-Norman | torn | — |