Where does “Elfenbeinturm” come from?
Elfenbeinturm (German) comes from German turm, from Middle High German turn, from Old High German turn, from Old French torn, from Old French tour, from Old French torner, from Latin tornō, from Latin tornus — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
Elfenbeinturm (German): ivory tower
Definitions
- ivory tower
Ancestry of “Elfenbeinturm”, step by step
Elfenbeinturm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via German turm
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | turm | tower, spire very tall building or structure, especially with a tapering top |
| 2 | Middle High German | turn | tower |
| 3 | Old High German | turn | tower |
| 4 | Old French | torn | — |
| 5 | Old French | tour | tower |
| 6 | Old French | torner | to turn; to return; to go back |
| 7 | Latin | tornō | to turn |
| 8 | Latin | tornus | A turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel |
| 9 | Ancient Greek | τόρνος | A tool similar to a pair of compasses used to... |
| 10 | Proto-Indo-European | torh₂no- | — |
| 11 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
via German Elfenbein
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | German | Elfenbein | ivory |
| 2 | Middle High German | helfenbein | — |
| 3 | Old High German | helfantbein | ivory; elephant bone |
| 4 | Old High German | bein | leg; bone |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | bain | leg; bone |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | bainą | leg; bone |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | bʰeyh₂- | to fear, be afraid; to strike, hit; to hew, cut |