Where does “turntail” come from?
turntail (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.
turntail (English): One who turns tail, or flees in cowardice
Definitions
- One who turns tail, or flees in cowardice
Ancestry of “turntail”, step by step
turntail 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 Tail
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Tail | A Chinese constellation coinciding with the tail of Scorpius, one of the 28 lunar mansions and the tail of Azure Dragon |
| 2 | Middle English | tayl | A tail; The back side or reverse of a creature; A... |
| 3 | Old English | tæġl | tail |
| 4 | Proto-Germanic | taglą | hair; ponytail; hair of a tail; tail |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | doḱ- | hair of the tail |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | deḱ- | take; perceive |