Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “upturned” come from?

Upturned derives from English turn, from Old English ūp- and -od, from Latin tornare meaning to turn or rotate, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- meaning to turn or twist.

upturned (English): turned over; inverted; capsized; turned up at the...

Definitions

  1. turned over; inverted; capsized; turned up at the...

Ancestry of “upturned”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishturnedsimple past tense and past participle of turn
2Englishturn"to make a non-linear physical movement."; "To...
3Middle Englishturnento turn
4Old Frenchtornerto turn; to return; to go back
5Latintornō—
6LatintornusA turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel
7Ancient GreekτόρνοςA tool similar to a pair of compasses used to...
8Proto-Indo-Europeantorh₂no-—
9Proto-Indo-Europeanterh₁-to rub, turn; to drill, pierce
Every word from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- →