Where does “turnscrew” come from?
turnscrew (English) comes from English turn, from Middle English turnen, from Old French torner, from Latin tornō, from Latin tornus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος, from Proto-Indo-European torh₂no-, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
turnscrew (English): A screwdriver
Definitions
- A screwdriver
Ancestry of “turnscrew”, step by step
turnscrew 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 |
via English screw
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | screw | A device that has a helical function; The motion... |
| 2 | Middle English | screw | — |
| 3 | Old French | escroue | nut, cylindrical socket, screwhole; scroll, strip... |
| 4 | Latin | scrofa | sow |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)kerbʰ- | to scratch, scrape |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | (s)ker- | to cut off; to turn, bend |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | sek- | to cut, cut off, sever |