English
torque
Torque comes from Latin torqueō ‘to twist’, and goes back to 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’
- Englishearliest quotation 1978torque
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor
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’
- Englishearliest quotation 1978torque
Earliest quotation: 1978, James Richard Wertz, Spacecraft Attitude Determination and Control: “The relative strengths of the various torques will depend…”
Linked words
through Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- ‘to turn, spin’
tart, queer, thwart, trowel, tortious, 18 more
through Proto-Italic *torkʷeō
retort, extort, tortuous, torturous, contortion, 15 more
through Latin torqueō ‘to twist’
torture, torch, torment, extortion, distort, tort, torsion, 20 more
Another origin of torque
- Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorquēs‘chaplet, collar, necklace of twisted metal, ring, wreath’
- Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtorquis‘chaplet’uncertain
- Frenchc. 1600–presenttorque
- Englishtodaytorque
Today it means
noun A rotational or twisting effect of a force; a moment of force, defined for measurement purposes as an equivalent straight line force multiplied by the distance from the axis of rotation (SI unit newton-metre or N·m; imperial unit pound-foot or lb·ft, not to be confused with the foot pound-force, commonly "foot-pound", a unit of work or energy)
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *terkʷ- / torque