Etymology
1. late O.E.
turnian "to rotate, revolve," in part also from O.Fr.
torner "to turn," both from L.
tornare "turn on a lathe," from
tornus "lathe," from Gk.
tornos "lathe, tool for drawing circles," from PIE base
*ter- "to rub, rub by turning, turn, twist" (see throw). Expression
to turn (something) into (something else) probably retains the classical sense of "to shape on a lathe" (attested in Eng. from c.1305). To
turn up "arrive" is recorded from 1755.
Turning-point in the fig. sense is attested from 1836.
Turn-off "something that dampens one's spirits" first recorded 1975 (said to have been in use since 1968); to
turn (someone) on "excite, stimulate, arouse" is recorded from 1903. Someone should revive
turn-sick "dizzy," which is attested from c.1440. To
turn (something) loose "set free" is recorded from 1598.
Turn around (v.) "reverse" is first attested 1880, Amer.Eng.
Turn down (v.) "reject" first recorded 1891, Amer.Eng.
Turn in "go to bed" is attested from 1695, originally nautical. To
turn the stomach "nauseate" is recorded from 1622. To
turn up one's nose as an expression of contempt is attested from 1779.
2. Etymology tree
3. Proto-Indo-European *terh₁-
4. Proto-Indo-European *-nos
5. Proto-Indo-European *tórh₁nos
6. Proto-Hellenic *tórnos
7. Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos)bor.
8. Latin tornus
9. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂
10. Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂
11. Proto-Indo-European *-yéti
12. Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti
13. Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.
14. Proto-Italic *-ājō
15. Proto-Italic *-āō
16. Latin -ō
17. Latin tornōbor.
18. Proto-West Germanic *turnēn
19. Old English turnian
20. ▲
21. Latin tornō
22. Old French tornerbor.
23. Middle English turnen
24. English turn
25. From Middle English turnen, from Old English turnian, tyrnan (“to turn, rotate, revolve”), from Proto-West Germanic *turnēn (“to turn, lathe”) (also the source of German turnen and its derivatives) and Old French torner (“to turn”), both from Latin tornāre (“to round off, turn in a lathe”), from tornus (“lathe”), from Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos, “turning-lathe: a tool used for making circles”), from Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- (“to rub, rub by turning, turn, twist, bore”). Cognate with Old English þrāwan (“to turn, twist, wind”), whence English throw. Displaced native Middle English wenden from Old English wendan (see wend), and Middle English trenden from Old English trendan (see trend), among several other terms. See: Middle English '
turnen', Old English '
turnian', German, old spelling '
turnen', Old French '
torner', English '
throw'.
Verbs referencing "turn"
Esperanto
torni, Ido turnar, Esperanto
turni, Spanish
tornar, German, old spelling
turnen, Tok Pisin tanim, Norwegian, nynorsk
tørne.