English word origin

Etymology of turn

2 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

verb

To move about an axis through itself. · To change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation. · To change one's direction of travel. · To shape (something) symmetrically by rotating it against a stationary cutting tool, as on a lathe.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *terh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-nos Proto-Indo-European *tórh₁nos Proto-Hellenic *tórnos Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos)bor. Latin tornus Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Latin -ō Latin tornōbor. Proto-West Germanic *turnēn Old English turnian ▲ Latin tornō Old French tornerbor. Middle English turnen English turn 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.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Root classification mention*terh₁-ine-pro
Inherited-form mentionturnenenm
Inherited-form mentionturnianang
Inherited-form mention*turnēngmw-pro · to turn, lathe
Derivation mentionturnende
Derivation mentiontornerfro · to turn
Derivation mentiontornārela · to round off, turn in a lathe
Derivation mentionτόρνοςgrc · turning-lathe: a tool used for making circles
Derivation mention*terh₁-ine-pro · to rub, rub by turning, turn, twist, bore
Cognate mentionþrāwanang · to turn, twist, wind
Cognate mentionthrowen
Non-cognate comparisonwendenenm
Non-cognate comparisonwendanang
Non-cognate comparisontrendenenm
Non-cognate comparisontrendanang

This page abbreviates 31 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "templates": [
    {
      "name": "etymon",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":inh",
        "3": "enm:turnen",
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      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nProto-Indo-European *terh₁-\nProto-Indo-European *-nos\nProto-Indo-European *tórh₁nos\nProto-Hellenic *tórnos\nAncient Greek τόρνος (tórnos)bor.\nLatin tornus\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂\nProto-Indo-European *-éh₂\nProto-Indo-European *-yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti\nProto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu.\nProto-Italic *-ājō\nProto-Italic *-āō\nLatin -ō\nLatin tornōbor.\nProto-West Germanic *turnēn\nOld English turnian\n▲\nLatin tornō\nOld French tornerbor.\nMiddle English turnen\nEnglish turn\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"lathe\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"bor.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Borrowed from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"circle-drawing tool\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"alt\" : \"*tórh₁nos\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"status\" : \"inline\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : 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        "3": "*terh₁-"
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "turnen"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English turnen"
    },
    {
      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ang",
        "3": "turnian"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English turnian"
    },
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      "name": "inh",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "gmw-pro",
        "3": "*turnēn",
        "t": "to turn, lathe"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "de",
        "3": "turnen"
      },
      "expansion": "German turnen"
    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "fro",
        "3": "torner",
        "t": "to turn"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "tornāre",
        "t": "to round off, turn in a lathe"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "τόρνος",
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      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
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      },
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    },
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      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "þrāwan",
        "t": "to turn, twist, wind"
      },
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    },
    {
      "name": "cog",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "throw"
      },
      "expansion": "English throw"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "wenden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English wenden"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "wendan"
      },
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    },
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      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "trenden"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English trenden"
    },
    {
      "name": "ncog",
      "args": {
        "1": "ang",
        "2": "trendan"
      },
      "expansion": "Old English trendan"
    },
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    }
  ],
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      "*terh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/terh₁-#Proto-Indo-European:_rub"
    ],
    [
      "*-nos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-nos"
    ],
    [
      "*tórnos",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Hellenic/tórnos"
    ],
    [
      "τόρνος",
      "τόρνος#Ancient_Greek:_circle-drawing_tool"
    ],
    [
      "tornus",
      "tornus#Latin:_lathe"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-éh₂",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-éh₂#Proto-Indo-European:_collective_nouns"
    ],
    [
      "*-yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_intransitive_verbs"
    ],
    [
      "*-eh₂yéti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-eh₂yéti#Proto-Indo-European:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "*-h₂ti",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/-h₂ti"
    ],
    [
      "*-āō",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Italic/-āō#Proto-Italic:_suf"
    ],
    [
      "-ō",
      "-o#Latin:_denominative"
    ],
    [
      "tornō",
      "torno#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "*turnēn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/turnēn"
    ],
    [
      "turnian",
      "turnian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "tornō",
      "torno#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "torner",
      "torner#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "turnen",
      "turnen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "turnen",
      "turnen#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "turnian",
      "turnian#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "tyrnan",
      "tyrnan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "*turnēn",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-West Germanic/turnēn"
    ],
    [
      "turnen",
      "turnen#German"
    ],
    [
      "torner",
      "torner#Old_French"
    ],
    [
      "tornāre",
      "tornare#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "tornus",
      "tornus#Latin"
    ],
    [
      "τόρνος",
      "τόρνος#Ancient_Greek"
    ],
    [
      "*terh₁-",
      "Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/terh₁-"
    ],
    [
      "þrāwan",
      "þrawan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "throw",
      "throw#English"
    ],
    [
      "wenden",
      "wenden#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "wendan",
      "wendan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "wend",
      "wend#English"
    ],
    [
      "trenden",
      "trenden#Middle_English"
    ],
    [
      "trendan",
      "trendan#Old_English"
    ],
    [
      "trend",
      "trend#English"
    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
  "descendants": [],
  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To move about an axis through itself.",
        "To change the direction or orientation of, especially by rotation.",
        "To change one's direction of travel.",
        "To shape (something) symmetrically by rotating it against a stationary cutting tool, as on a lathe."
      ],
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

noun

A change of direction or orientation. · A movement of an object about its own axis in one direction that continues until the object returns to its initial orientation. · A unit of plane angle measurement based on this movement. · A walk to and fro.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Partly from Anglo-Norman *torn, from Latin tornus, from Ancient Greek τόρνος (tórnos), and partly an action noun from the verb turn.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Derivation mentiontornusla
Derivation mentionτόρνοςgrc

This page abbreviates 19 auxiliary source items. The etymology narrative is not shortened. Omission counts are available in the audit fields below; consult the original for complete auxiliary material.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "xno",
        "3": "",
        "4": "*torn"
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    },
    {
      "name": "der",
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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      "lang_code": "de",
      "word": "Törn",
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        "borrowed"
      ]
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      "lang": "Japanese",
      "lang_code": "ja",
      "word": "ターン",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "roman": "tān"
    }
  ],
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      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A change of direction or orientation.",
        "A movement of an object about its own axis in one direction that continues until the object returns to its initial orientation.",
        "A unit of plane angle measurement based on this movement.",
        "A walk to and fro."
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for turn →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

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Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-dHVybg