English
torchon
Torchon comes from French torchon ‘tea towel’, from Old French torche ‘torch’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- ‘to turn, spin’.
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terkʷ-‘to turn, spin’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*torkʷ-éye-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷejōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷeōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorqueō‘to twist’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorques
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEtorqua
- Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE*torca‘coiled object’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400torche‘torch’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form
- French, derivedc. 1600–presenttorchon‘tea towel’
- Englishtodaysame form
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*terkʷ-‘to turn, spin’reconstructed
- Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*torkʷ-éye-tireconstructed
- Proto-Italicc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷejōreconstructed
- Proto-Italic, derivedc. 1500–700 BCE*torkʷeōreconstructed
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorqueō‘to twist’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorques
- Vulgar Latinc. 100–700 CEtorqua
- Vulgar Latin, derivedc. 100–700 CE*torca‘coiled object’reconstructed
- Old Frenchc. 842–1400torche‘torch’
- Frenchc. 1600–presentsame form
- French, derivedc. 1600–presenttorchon‘tea towel’
- Englishtodaysame form
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- ‘to turn, spin’
queer, tart, thwart, trowel, tortious, 18 more
through Proto-Italic *torkʷeō
retort, extort, tortuous, torturous, contortion, 15 more
through Latin torqueō ‘to twist’
torture, torment, extortion, distort, tort, torsion, 20 more
through Latin torques
Today it means
noun A coarse, loose-textured bobbin lace.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- / torchon