Etymograph

English

extort

Extort comes from Latin extortus ‘extorted’, from ex ‘out’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- ‘to turn, spin’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terkʷ-‘to turn, spin’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*torkʷ-éye-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷejōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷeōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorqueō‘twist, turn’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEex‘out’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEextorquere‘to twist or wrench out, to extort’next step skipped: Latin extorqueō
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEextortus‘extorted’past participle of extorquere
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1590extort

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terkʷ-‘to turn, spin’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*torkʷ-éye-tireconstructed
  3. Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷejōreconstructed
  4. Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷeōreconstructed
  5. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorqueō‘twist, turn’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEex‘out’
  7. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEextorquere‘to twist or wrench out, to extort’next step skipped: Latin extorqueō
  8. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEextortus‘extorted’past participle of extorquere
  9. Englishearliest quotation 1590extort

Earliest quotation: 1590, Edmund Spenser, (please specify the book): “Hauing great Lordships got and goodly farmes, Through strong…”

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- ‘to turn, spin’

queer, tart, thwart, trowel, tortious, 20 more

through Latin torqueō ‘twist, turn’

torture, torch, torque, torment, distort, torsion, retort, tortuous, torturous, contortion, 17 more

through Latin ex ‘out’

exchange, ex, squash, affray, extenuating, enunciation, excommunicate, 11 more

Today it means

verb To take or seize from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- / extort

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