Where does “twister” come from?

twister (French) comes from French twist, from English Twist, from Middle English twist, from Old English twist, from Proto-Germanic twistaz.

twister (French): to dance the twist, to twist

Definitions

  1. to dance the twist, to twist

Ancestry of “twister”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Frenchtwisttwist dance
2EnglishTwistA twisting force
3Middle EnglishtwistThe flat part of a hinge (less specifically the entire hinge)
4Old Englishtwist—
5Proto-Germanictwistaz—
Every word from Proto-Germanic twistaz →Every word from Old English twist →Every word from Middle English twist →