Where does “torn” come from?
torn (Middle Low German) comes from Old French tor, from French tour, from Latin tornus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος, from Proto-Indo-European torh₂no-, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
Ancestry of “torn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old French | tor | tower; bull |
| 2 | French | tour | tower; rook; apartment building |
| 3 | Latin | tornus | A turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel |
| 4 | Ancient Greek | τόρνος | A tool similar to a pair of compasses used to... |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | torh₂no- | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |
Words derived from “torn”