Where does “turtleneck” come from?
Turtleneck comes from Middle English tortou, from Old French tortüe, from Latin turtur, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European roots related to turning or bending.
turtleneck (English): A high, close-fitting collar, turned back on...
Definitions
- A high, close-fitting collar, turned back on...
Ancestry of “turtleneck”, step by step
turtleneck traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English Turtle
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | Turtle | A member of the Ancient and Honorable Order of... |
| 2 | French | tortue | turtle or tortoise |
| 3 | Middle French | tortue | turtle |
| 4 | Old Occitan | tortuga | — |
| 5 | Late Latin | tartarucha | — |
| 6 | Latin | tartarūchus | — |
| 7 | Ancient Greek | ταρταροῦχος | holder of Tartaros, Tartarus, the land of the... |
| 8 | Ancient Greek | ἔχω | I have, possess, contain, own; I hold; I have... |
| 9 | Proto-Hellenic | hékʰō | to have |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | seǵʰ- | to hold; to overpower |
via English neck
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | neck | The part of the body connecting the head and the... |
| 2 | Middle English | nekke | neck |
| 3 | Old English | hnecca | back of the neck; back of the head; neck |
| 4 | Proto-West Germanic | *hnakkō | nape |
| 5 | Proto-Germanic | hnakkô | the back of the neck; nape |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | knog- | back of the head, nape, neck |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | ken- | to arise, begin |