Etymograph

English

torture

Torture comes from Late Latin tortūra ‘a twisting, writhing, of bodily pain, a…’, and goes back to 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 CEtorqueōas torquēre, past participle‘to twist’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtortus
  7. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEtortūra‘a twisting, writhing, of bodily pain, a griping colic’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400torture
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500torture
  10. Englishearliest quotation 2014torture

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed deepest recorded ancestor

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 CEtorqueōas torquēre, past participle‘to twist’
  6. Latin, derivedc. 75 BCE–200 CEtortus
  7. Late Latinc. 200–600 CEtortūra‘a twisting, writhing, of bodily pain, a griping colic’
  8. Old Frenchc. 842–1400torture
  9. Middle Englishc. 1150–1500torture
  10. Englishearliest quotation 2014torture

Earliest quotation: 2014, Claire Kramsch, Language and Culture: “If Cheney calls it enhanced interrogation, he argues, this…”

Linked words

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

queer, tart, thwart, trowel, tortious, 21 more

through Latin torqueō ‘to twist’

torch, torque, torment, extortion, distort, torsion, extort, retort, contortion, 18 more

through Latin tortus

truss, torta, 6 more

Today it means

noun The infliction of severe pain or anguish, especially as an interrogation technique or punishment; (usually in the plural) a technique, method, or device which is designed to inflict such anguish.

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

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

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