Where does “turnkey” come from?
Turnkey comes from English turn and English key, with turn deriving from Latin tornare and ultimately Proto-Indo-European terh₁- meaning to turn or twist.
turnkey (English): Ready to use without further assembly or test;...
Definitions
- Ready to use without further assembly or test;...
Ancestry of “turnkey”, step by step
turnkey traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English turn
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | turn | "to make a non-linear physical movement."; "To... |
| 2 | Middle English | turnen | to turn |
| 3 | Old French | torner | to turn; to return; to go back |
| 4 | Latin | tornō | to turn |
| 5 | Latin | tornus | A turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τόρνος | A tool similar to a pair of compasses used to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | torh₂no- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |