Where does “tortue” come from?
tortue (French) comes from Middle French tortue, from Old Occitan tortuga, from Late Latin tartarucha, from Latin tartarūchus, from Ancient Greek ταρταροῦχος, from Ancient Greek ἔχω, from Proto-Hellenic hékʰō, from Proto-Indo-European seǵʰ- — to hold; to overpower.
tortue (French): turtle or tortoise
Definitions
- turtle or tortoise
Ancestry of “tortue”, step by step
tortue traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Middle French tortue
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle French | tortue | turtle |
| 2 | Old Occitan | tortuga | — |
| 3 | Late Latin | tartarucha | — |
| 4 | Latin | tartarūchus | — |
| 5 | Ancient Greek | ταρταροῦχος | holder of Tartaros, Tartarus, the land of the... |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | ἔχω | I have, possess, contain, own; I hold; I have... |
| 7 | Proto-Hellenic | hékʰō | to have |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | seǵʰ- | to hold; to overpower |
via Spanish tortuga
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Spanish | tortuga | turtle; tortoise; snail |
| 2 | Old Spanish | tartuga | — |
| 3 | Latin | Tartarucchus | — |