Where does “turtles” come from?
Turtles derives from Middle English turteldoufe, a bird name of uncertain ultimate origin whose sense shifted to aquatic reptiles through folk etymology or semantic confusion.
turtles (English): plural of turtle; Gloves; Third-person singular...
Definitions
- plural of turtle; Gloves; Third-person singular...
Ancestry of “turtles”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | turtle doves | plural of turtle dove |
| 2 | English | turtle dove | Any of several birds, called by this traditional... |
| 3 | Middle English | turtildove | — |
| 4 | Latin | turtur | turtle dove |