English
intort
Intort comes from Latin intortus ‘contorted’, and goes back to Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- ‘to turn, spin’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terkʷ-‘to turn, spin’next step skipped: Latin intorqueō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintortus‘contorted’
- Englishearliest quotation 1726intort
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terkʷ-‘to turn, spin’next step skipped: Latin intorqueō
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEintortus‘contorted’
- Englishearliest quotation 1726intort
Earliest quotation: 1726, Homer, The Odyssey of Homer: “With reverend hand the king presents the gold, /…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- ‘to turn, spin’
queer, torture, torch, torque, tart, thwart, extortion, torment, trowel, distort, torsion, retort, extort, tortuous, torturous, tortious, contortion, 18 more
Today it means
verb To twist in and out; to twine; to wreathe, wind, or wring.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- / intort