Where does “turn” come from?
turn (Old High German) comes from Old French torn, from Old French tour, from Old French torner, from Latin tornō, from Latin tornus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος, from Proto-Indo-European torh₂no-, from Proto-Indo-European terh₁- — to rub, turn; to drill, pierce.
turn (Old High German): tower
Definitions
- tower
Ancestry of “turn”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Old French | torn | — |
| 2 | Old French | tour | tower |
| 3 | Old French | torner | to turn; to return; to go back |
| 4 | Latin | tornō | to turn |
| 5 | Latin | tornus | A turner's wheel, lathe; A potter's wheel |
| 6 | Ancient Greek | τόρνος | A tool similar to a pair of compasses used to... |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | torh₂no- | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | terh₁- | to rub, turn; to drill, pierce |